2026 WR Aaron McFarland Ready For Notre Dame Return

Aaron McFarland‍ took a gameday visit to Notre Dame last season and it’s stuck with the 2026 Ohio receiver ever since. 

“I loved it,” the Taylor High School standout says. “It was a great experience. One of the best visits I went on, actually the best visit I went on by far.

“The fans, everything. The top thing was the fans though. I was in the stands and they were just going crazy. It's like nothing I've seen before. The coaches were just great. The atmosphere down there was just insane. I really felt like I fit in.”

So, when Notre Dame reached out to invite him back for this weekend’s home opener against Northern Illinois, McFarland jumped at the chance.

“I'm really hoping to go up there and get a good conversation going with the coaches and hopefully going from there,” he said. “I'm ready. I'm ready for college, man.”

McFarland currently has offers from West Virginia, Marshall and UMass.

“It's great,” he says of the opportunities that have come his way already. “Going to play in college and going to play at the next level means a lot to me. 

“I always wished that was for me, but I wasn't always great size, so I didn't think I was going to make it there. But when I got my first offer and then me knowing I have a chance to play in college, I just kept working my ass off from there.”

The 5-foot-11, 170-pounder says college coaches like his ability on the field.

“They like my speed,” he says. “They say I'm fast off the ball. I'm a really good pass-catcher. They just like me as a slot receiver, not outside as much. So I switched this year to slot and hopefully this year, I'll get some great film up.”

Even with the offers that have come his way already, it’s clear McFarland is craving an offer from the Irish and would consider pouncing on it just as quickly as he pounced on the visit invitation.  

But for now, he’s continuing with the recruiting process and has multiple visits set for the fall.

“I have Alabama November 30th. I have West Virginia the 23rd. I'm going up to Notre Dame this week. I have Michigan State, September 14th. I'm going up to Michigan as well and then Purdue as well.”

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