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FCS Program Hands Multiple SEC Powerhouses Major Loss on Recruiting Trail

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Kevin Matthew Borba | Last updated Jul 5, 2025 4:25 PM ET

The one thing to expect when it comes to college football recruiting is the unexpected.

Whether it is Texas Tech swooping in at the last minute with a $5 million offer for the No. 1 offensive tackle in the country, a legacy recruit spurning his father's program or a FCS program beating out some of the biggest programs in the country, anything can happen.

In the case of Alabama and Ole Miss, they unfortunately fell into the category of being upset on the recruiting trail by an FCS program.

On Friday, four-star wide receiver Xavier McDonald announced that he'd be committing to play for Brennan Marion and the Sacramento State Hornets, choosing them over the likes of Alabama, Ole Miss, LSU and Arkansas, among others.

Ranked as the No. 100 recruit in the country according to 247Sports, McDonald becomes the highest-ranked recruit in program history, and is also the first four-star that the Hornets have ever landed.

While this may seem like it's out of the blue, Sac State has been making a push to become an FBS program, and has fully invested into its athletic department.

According to Front Office Sports, the program plans to build a 25,000-seat football stadium. In addition to the upgrade for football, once they are granted access into the FBS, they plan to partner with the Sacramento Kings to play at the Golden 1 center, and will also have "35 million in NIL (name, image, and likeness) collective commitments."

Their application was denied by the NCAA committee, but are not giving up on that hope.

As for football recruiting, the Hornets have the No. 56 class in the country, which outranks programs such as Nebraska, UCF, Maryland, Auburn and Boise State.

Whether college football is ready or not, something special is brewing in California's capital.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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