The Gonzaga Bulldogs continue to work the phones this offseason, looking to add to their upcoming recruiting classes by targeting some late-risers in 2023 and 2024.

Their latest target is Jacob McFarland, an up-and-coming three-star center out of Moreno Valley, California who revealed to 247Sports that he received interest from Gonzaga after a strong showing over the summer circuits.

“It was surreal. I was jumping up and down when [Gonzaga] called,” McFarland told 247Sports. “I talked to Brian Michaelson and Roger Powell. They have a really good program. Chet Holmgren is one of my favorite players and he went there.”

McFarland has an official visit on the calendar at Wyoming, but nothing scheduled with the Zags just yet. He recently received a trio of big-time offers from Providence, Houston, and USC, and has heard from LSU, Arizona State, Cal, and Nevada to name a few.

McFarland naming a former Zag among his favorite players is obviously a good sign for Gonzaga, and the 6’10, 205 pound center certainly has a frame reminiscent of Holmgren’s at this stage in his development.

In fact, the entire scouting report from Adam Finkelstein of 247Sports reads like it could have been about Holmgren early in his high school career:

He’s long and lean, needs to build up his body, and develop more of a taste for contact. Additionally, his offense is fairly limited based on what he showed last week. However, he has very good size and is an absolutely effortless mover. He runs the floor, changes direction, couldn’t be much lighter on his feet, and is a bouncy vertical athlete. He also appears to have good hands. Right now, his biggest impact on the game is his shot-blocking ability and that should translate up levels as he has all the markers of a true rim protector. Given his mobility, he has a very high defensive ceiling, as his willingness and ability to play through contact develop. Offensively, he’s a lob threat and vertical spacer, who needs to develop the rest of his game on that end of the floor.

Adam Finkelstein, Director of Scouting for 247Sports

McFarland certainly sounds excited about the interest from Gonzaga, and if he is able to set up an official visit to Spokane he absolutely becomes a prospect for fans to keep an eye on in the coming weeks as he prepares to make his college decision.