"I saw (Alabama’s) Ryan Williams do it": Elite Texan wide receiver Ethan Feaster shares reasons for reclassifying to the Class of 2026  

The Class of 2026 football recruits have made headlines recently with official visit scheduling, commitments, narrowing their top schools, and more. Meanwhile, some 2027 recruits have reclassified to 2026.

It was reported by multiple recruiting publications such as Rivals and On3 that Desoto High School (Texas) four-star wide receiver Ethan Feaster is reclassifying from the 2027 class to the 2026 class.

Ethan Feaster talked to On3's Steve Wiltfong about his decision to reclassify, saying:

"I saw Ryan Williams do it. That was the biggest thing. I felt like I can do it. I felt like I was ready for college.”

Feaster continued saying:

“It was really me, my coaches and parents talked about it real hard. I brought it up first. My parents were iffy on it. Once my coach told me the pros and the cons, there were way more pros and my parents were like, 'It's the right move.'

“The pros were, getting my parents in a better situation was one thing. I had done everything in high school people could think about. It was like, what more can I do in high school?"

Ethan Feaster recruiting breakdown

Ethan Feaster is rated as a four-star prospect, the number 11 player in the state of Texas, eighth-best wide receiver, and 67th overall in the country according to 247Sports with his new reclassification. Feaster has over 45 offers from top college football programs like Alabama, LSU, Georgia and others, but he is currently uncommitted.

Oregon, LSU, Texas, USC, Tennesee, Texas A&M, and others are among Feaster's top schools, as On3 reported. Ethan Feaster is a fast receiver with a track and field background, running a 22.01 200-meter dash as a freshman. That speed gives him an advantage in creating separation against opposing defensive backs.

As a freshman in 2023, Feaster had 32 receptions for 634 yards and nine touchdowns en route to an undefeated season that concluded with a Texas 6A Division 2 State Championship. In his sophomore season in 2024, Ethan totaled 57 catches for 824 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Other Notable recruits to reclassify

Although Desoto's Ethan Feaster reclassified from 2027 to 2026, he's not the only top recruit to do so. Four-star Mater Dei tight end Mark Bowman reclassified. Bowman was ranked as the number 1 tight end in the country. Four-star Jackson High School (Alabama) running back Ezavier Crowell reclassified as well. Crowell was ranked as the number 1 running back before reclassifying.