Javon McKinley Reveals Top 6: Odds on Where 4-Star WR Lands

Javon McKinley, one of the West Coast's premier offensive prospects, put his focus on six favorites Monday evening. 

The 4-star wide receiver remains open to new opportunities, but a recruitment that includes nearly 30 scholarship offers is beginning to take shape. His list of top options spans America, from the Pacific Northwest to South Florida:

"

I'd like thank all the schools that have offered me, but of those that have offered me these are my official top 6 pic.twitter.com/NKfp0HvwAE

— JavonMcKinley (@mcjavon) May 19, 2015"

McKinley, rated 13th nationally among wide receivers, is coming off a monstrous junior campaign at Centennial High School in Corona, California. He caught 97 passes for 2,062 and 25 touchdowns in 2014, emerging as an elite threat for the Los Angeles-area powerhouse.

The 6'2", 185-pound prospect has visited several universities this spring, including Stanford, Miami, UCLA, Cal and Notre Dame. Now that we know which programs presently stand out, here's a look at odds of where he lands at the next level. 

Miami: 12-to-1

The Hurricanes are off to a strong start in the 2016 cycle, claiming a nation-high 21 commitments. Though only nine members of the class are rated as more than 3-star prospects, it's still quite a collection for a team that finished 6-7 last season.

Miami offered McKinley last month during his campus visit. The Hurricanes already hold pledges from a trio of 4-star pass-catchers, though some believe the commitment of Sam Bruce may be tenuous. Head coach Al Golden can collect all the recruits he wants right now, but if his squad doesn't show serious strides on the field this fall, it could be his final campaign in Coral Gables.

The coaching situation at Miami is more unpredictable than any of McKinley's other top choices. That element, plus the fact Miami hasn't secured a single out-of-state player in the class, leads us to believe this is a serious long shot.

Notre Dame: 4-to-1

If McKinley leaves the West Coast, the smart money is on Notre Dame as his destination. The Fighting Irish are the only program to lock in an official visit with him to this point, as he is set to attend the team's October matchup with USC.

"Notre Dame was a big offer for me," he told Greg Biggins of Scout.com. "They have a great program and a great combination of football, tradition and academics."

Centennial teammate Chacho Ulloa, a Fighting Irish target at safety, is also set to make the trip. They visited South Bend together in April. 

Notre Dame landed coveted Southern California wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown last signing day.

Ohio State: 7-to-1

Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer hasn't hosted McKinley in Columbus yet, but an April offer was enough for the defending national champions to secure a spot on his list. It can be difficult to tell at times if high school players include specific programs among favorites as a result of sincere mutual interest or the level of pedigree a team brings to that recruitment.

Until we hear more about an evolving relationship between McKinley and Buckeyes coaches, the jury is still out. Given Ohio State's wealth of talent at quarterback and overall offensive success, it shouldn't come as a surprise anytime a wide receiver expresses interest.

However, unless McKinley makes a trip to campus this summer, it would need to wait until an official visit during the fall or winter. There's a lot of development needed here for us to view the Buckeyes as a top-level contender.

Oregon: 3-to-1

The Ducks annually do significant damage on the California recruiting trail. With program popularity at an all-time high, Oregon has gone from targeting underrated 3-stars in the state to poaching away premier prospects with increased regularity (2014 running back Royce Freeman and 2015 quarterback Travis Waller are prime examples).

McKinley's only known summer visit is set for Eugene, where the team will work to line up a return trip for an official visit. 

"I know one (official visit) will be to Oregon," he told Biggins. "After that, I'm not sure where I'll go. I've never been to Oregon before but I love that offense, it's a lot like what we do at Centennial."

We've seen Centennial's attack operate in person, and that's a legitimate comparison. A positive visit in the coming months could push the Ducks to the top of his list.

USC: 2-to-1

The Trojans are building quite a passing attack through recent recruiting cycles under head coach Steve Sarkisian. USC signed a pair of 4-star passers last signing day and recently landed 4-star 2016 quarterback Matt Fink. 

If McKinley is looking to stay close to home, no program on this list can compete with the Trojans. USC is likely to line up multiple in-season visits and will be on the field when he travels to Notre Dame this fall, presenting another opportunity for Sarkisian to showcase his attack in front of McKinley.

USC produced three wide receivers who were top-50 picks in the past two NFL drafts. The Trojans are likely to sign at least four players at the position in this cycle and just landed 4-star Georgia prospect Josh Imatorbhebhe.

Tennessee: 10-to-1

Few teams are in the mix for as many top-tier wide receivers as the Volunteers, who've also drawn strong interest from 4-star recruits Diondre Overton, Kyle Davis and Austin Mack. McKinley secured an offer from head coach Butch Jones in January, though he's yet to spend time in Knoxville.

Tennessee is among the hottest teams on the recruiting trail since 2014 and could make a significant leap in SEC action this season. Top Volunteers quarterback target Jarrett Guarantano committed last month, and now Jones aims to solidify a strong supporting cast in the 2016 class.

It remains to be seen whether Tennessee coaches are able to line up a crucial campus visit, and that could make or break things here. We also anticipate the Volunteers will land at least one or two high-profile recruits at the position before McKinley begins to embark on officials in the fall.

Recruit ratings courtesy of 247Sports.