4-star WR Xavier McDonald pulls a shocker, commits to Sacramento State over LSU and Ole Miss

Brennan Marion is in his first year as the head coach at Sacramento State and he is quickly trying to create a culture that top recruits want to be a part of. One of the best in the 2026 class committed to the Hornets on Friday.

“I am committing to Sacramento State,” Xavier McDonald told Rivals.

A few days ago, Ole Miss had the momentum. The buzz was around the in-state program, but Sacramento State has landed a commitment from the four-star playmaker out of Morton (Miss.).

The Hornets received the last official visit on the weekend of June 20. Marrion, offensive coordinator Kenneth Merchant and wide receivers coach Sidhart Krishnamurthi all spent a lot of time with McDonald and they showed him how he could be a focal point in their scheme.

One source close to McDonald said, “This isn’t a real surprise. Sacramento State has a great head coach and they have recruited Xavier the hardest.”

After beating LSU, Ole Miss and others for McDonald, the No. 16 receiver in the country, the Hornets have 16 commitments.

Out of the 16 commitments, 12 are from California, two are from Nevada, one is from Pennsylvania and McDonald is from Mississippi.