No. 7 ranked WR down to five major college football programs

One of the best wide receiver recruits in the 2027 class has trimmed his list down to five programs.

A view of a tv camera and the ESPN college football logo before the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the BYU Cougars/ | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

With the 2026 recruiting class pretty much wrapped up, much of the attention in the college football world has since turned to the 2027 class.

One recruit in the 2027 class who has taken the next step in his process is a four-star wide receiver, Miguel Whitley. The New Orleans native has over 20 offers from notable programs such as Baylor, Florida State, Georgia Tech, LSU and Miami.

However, Whitley cut his list down to five programs on Monday, as revealed in a report by On3's Keegan Pope.

"After amassing more than 20 offers, Whitley is down to Ohio State, LSU, Tennessee, Ole Miss and Houston," wrote Pope. "He is yet to set any summer official visits, but each of his five remaining contenders will be in line to receive one as he begins to trim down his list even further."

Detailed view of a ESPN college football emblem on a end zone broadcast camera. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

This past season for St. Augustine, Whitley exploded for the Purple Knights, racking up 46 catches for 869 yards and 14 touchdowns, on 18.9 yards per catch.

As confirmed by Pope, Whitley has seen a handful of coaches make at-home visits for him, and he is expected to be a priority guest at LSU's junior day event this upcoming weekend.

LSU and head coach Lane Kiffin are viewed as a strong contender to land him, as they were one of the first programs to offer him back when they were Ole Miss. However, coaching changes in Baton Rouge may have also helped out another major program that is vying for Whitley's services.

Following the shakeup at LSU, wide receivers coach Cortez Hankton ended up taking on the same role at Ohio State, where he will replace first-year USF head coach Brian Hartline. As revealed by Whitley, he and Hankton already have a strong bond, which could help the Buckeyes' chances of landing him in the long run,

“I’m really excited by having a strong relationship with coach Hankton and I really like Ohio State so I’m really excited how this is gonna work out with us," Whitley told On3's Letterman Row earlier this month.

Whitley has yet to give a timeline regarding when he plans to announce his commitment, but considering he has yet to take any visits, it seems safe to expect his recruitment to take a bit more time.

He and the Purple Knights finished the year 11-3, while losing in the state championship game to New Orleans powerhouse Edna Karr.