4-Star WR Xavier McDonald Announces Unexpected Commitment To Sacramento State

In a shocking announcement, four-star wide receiver Xavier McDonald announced his commitment to Sacramento State. The 6-foot-2, 160-pound receiver picked the Hornets over LSU, Ole Miss, and North Carolina.

It was another massive recruiting victory for head coach Brennan Marion, who has continued to make waves on the recruiting trail. The Hornets signed the No. 1 transfer portal class in the FCS this offseason, and the momentum has carried over to their 2026 recruiting class.

McDonald is the No. 114 overall prospect and No. 16 wide receiver in the class of 2026. He ranks as the No. 3 wide receiver and No. 6 player in the state of Mississippi, according to the On3 industry ranking.

With the addition of McDonald, Sacramento State's 2026 recruiting class vaults to No. 74 nationally and remains the top-ranked class in the FCS. The Hornets now have 16 commits, headlined by seven three-star prospects in the On3 industry ranking.

McDonald is the highest-ranked commit in program history, surpassing three-star ATH Dreyden Garner, who signed with the Hornets in the 2025 recruiting class.

McDonald was limited to seven games last season, but still finished with 562 receiving yards and five touchdowns. He had unbelievable freshman and sophomore seasons, posting 1,978 receiving yards and 26 touchdowns over his first two high school seasons. He was a first-team 4A All-State selection as a sophomore.