2026 4-star WR Vance Spafford narrows his list to eight schools

Mission Viejo (Calif.) wide receiver Vance Spafford is approaching 30 offers and the four-star is ready to make his first cut. Eight schools have emerged as favorites for the No. 111 prospect in the 2026 On3 Industry Ranking.

“Georgia, Ole Miss, Nebraska, Arizona, Washington, TCU, Oregon, and Notre Dame are my top schools,” Spafford told On3. “These are the schools that I think have shown me the most love. It’s the schools where I feel like I could fit the best. For me personally, I feel like these are the schools that I could actually see myself going to for four years and having success.”

Each school on Spafford’s list reaches out to him at least a couple of times a week. Some communicate with him daily. Making him feel like a priority is important.

“How schools recruit me is really big because I take it you are prioritizing me. In the decision, it’s very small but very big at the same time. Reaching out to me is showing me that you have me that coaches have me on their minds and want to show me I am important to them.”

Spafford knows what he is looking for in a school

Relationships and how schools recruit Spafford put schools on his radar. From there, he will evaluate his top schools and he knows what he wants in a school when he makes his decision.

“I’m definitely looking for an opportunity to play as a freshman,” Spafford said. “That’s the ultimate goal. I know I’m not promised anything, but that opportunity is what I’m looking for. I want to go somewhere I can set a legacy for myself. Going somewhere that my mom likes is big too, because if she doesn’t like it, I probably won’t be able to go there.”

When the time is right, Spafford will commit

Spafford has visited Ole Miss and Georgia for games this season. He has also visited Nebraska, TCU and Washington before. Arizona will have him on campus for the Colorado game and he will visit Nebraska for the UCLA game.

This cut is Spafford’s first major move in his recruitment. These are the schools he likes the most and he is entering this next phase with an open mind.

“There is no set time for me to commit,” Spafford said. “If I go somewhere and it feels like home, then I might pull a trigger. I’m taking it kind of day by day. The plan is for me to take all my official visits and pick a school from there before my senior season, but if I feel it sooner, it could happen at any time.”