"I'm going to get my respect I deserve": Elite WR Ethan Feaster shares his feelings on his current position ranking by recruiting portal

Ethan Feaster, an elite wide receiver from DeSoto, Texas, is making headlines with his determination to climb the rankings. After 247Sports listed him as the No. 8 WR in the 2026 class with a 90 overall rating, Feaster took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his dissatisfaction.

"Number 8? Bet watch this, I going to get my respect I deserve one way or another!" he posted.

Feaster reclassified from 2027 to the 2026 recruiting class. Rivals ranked him as the No. 3 WR and No. 15 overall in the 2026 cycle. On3's Steve Wiltfong explained the motivation behind his reclassification,

“The reasons why he’s reclassifying—look, he saw Ryan Williams have such a great true freshman season for Alabama, and he thought that was something he could do," Wiltfong said.

“But one of the other reasons is he said, ‘so I can take care of my family earlier.’ So NIL is going to be a factor.”

Feaster also focuses on finding the right program with elite coaching and a strong football culture.

“This year, I’m giving all my favorite coaches a special Valentine’s gift," he said. “I’ll be graduating next year in the class of 2026. The time is now.”

Alabama remains a serious contender, along with Texas, Texas A&M, USC and LSU. He has scheduled official visits to USC and LSU in June.

Top Texas recruit Ethan Feaster speeds up his college path

Ethan Feaster, previously the No. 1 recruit in Texas and ranked No. 4 overall by On3 Industry, decided to reclassify from 2027 to 2026. His reasoning was simple.

“I saw (Alabama’s) Ryan Williams do it,” Feaster said. “That was the biggest thing. I felt like I can do it. I felt like I was ready for college.”

Feaster has already dominated at the high school level. As a freshman, he had 32 catches for 634 yards and nine touchdowns, playing a key role in DeSoto’s 16-0 state championship season.

The decision to reclassify wasn’t made lightly

“It was really me, my coaches and parents talked about it real hard,” Feaster said. “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 its the right move. The pros were getting my parents in a better situation was one thing."

A proven playmaker, Feaster was a MaxPreps Freshman and sophomore All-American. In 2024, he recorded 57 receptions for 824 yards and 13 touchdowns, helping powerhouse DeSoto win a Texas 6A state championship.