Last month, Ohio State gave its first scholarship offer to a 2028 prospect when Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy wide receiver Eric McFarland (5-8, 170) received an offer from the Buckeyes, and McFarland was at the third one-day camp in Columbus on Tuesday.
Despite not playing even a single snap of high school football yet, wide receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator Brian Hartline had already seen enough to know he wanted McFarland at Ohio State in four years.
After the camp, McFarland said he felt that he proved he got the offer for a reason and listed Ohio State and LSU as his top two schools right now.
“LSU and Ohio State are both receiver university,” McFarland said. “You’ve got people who came from LSU like Odell (Beckham Jr.), Jarvis Landry, Ja’Marr Chase. (At Ohio State) you’ve got (Jeremiah Smith), Carnell (Tate), Jackson Smith-Njigba, a lot of people that came here to be a part of that.
McFarland was the first eighth grader to receive an offer from the Buckeyes since 2026 recruit Loganville (Ga.) Grayson five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson (6-2, 205) got one a few years back. Atkinson still has yet to commit anywhere, but he is currently the No. 9 recruit in his class by 247Sports composite ranking.
McFarland said he likes that Hartline has been able to already build a good relationship with him, something he said is going to be important to him when he decides where he wants to be.
“I want to make sure I can come somewhere where I have a good relationship with the coach,” McFarland said.
The time when he needs to make his decision is a long ways away, but McFarland already has offers from Arizona, Florida State, Georgia, Missouri, Toledo, UCF and Washington along with his offer from the Buckeyes, so those options are only going to expand when he shows off his talent when the high school season starts this fall.
