Lincoln Riley’s recruiting game has seen a whirlwind of change since he took over the Trojans. The class of 2022 was about to sign when he joined the program. It wasn’t a surprise that USC didn’t even have a top-50 class. That changed in 2023. A no. 8 class, first in the Pac-12, beating even Dan Lanning’s Oregon. Then the conference change happened, and the ranking slipped a little. From a top-10 finish to a top-20. The surprise? No 5-star recruits.

Riley addressed that in the 2025 class. A 13th-place finish and a 5-star recruit in Husan Longstreet. All that recruiting progress, the hiring of Chad Bowden, and a focus on in-state talent are finally providing dividends in the 2026 class. So far, they are the No. 2 class. But what would happen if one key piece of the class decommits?

Riley, so far, has managed to land two five-star recruits and boasts 11 four-star and three-star recruits each. Moreover, among these commits is also Ethan “Boobie” Feaster, a highly talented wide receiver who has already been dubbed “NFL caliber” by major scouts. Not just that, his multi-sport athleticism, having run the 200-meter dash in 22.01 seconds and the 100-meter dash in 11.29 seconds, makes things even more optimistic for him at USC. But recently, news broke about the WR visiting Oklahoma, sparking discussions of a potential flip. But now, the WR has addressed the speculations head-on.’

Ethan Feaster took to X and shared a screenshot of a piece that reported about him making an unofficial visit to Oklahoma. “There’s also a mounting sense of belief among the sources that four-star WR Boobie Feaster will take an unofficial visit to Oklahoma next month. We’ve teased this possibility previously, and the noise continues to percolate,” read the screenshot. Ethan Feaster’s response? He had a humble request for everyone.

“I don’t mean no disrespect to anyone, but please don’t lie or speculate on my name unless it came out of me or my parents’ mouth. This is not true,” responded Feaster. Feaster landed his commitment to USC back on July 4th, which came in a high-profile ceremony in Dallas-Fort Worth, with many claiming Feaster announced his commitment like an “NFL player.” Moreover, the commitment was also a shock for many since mostly Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama was expected to land the player, and USC, in a sense, came out of the blue. However, despite that perception, USC and Feaster’s relationship goes way back.

Feaster initially was a prospect of the 2027 class and was rated a five-star. But with looming interest from teams like Texas, Alabama, Texas A&M, and Oregon, even as a freshman, the guy decided to reclassify to the 2026 cycle and got downgraded to a four-star rating. But amid all of this, USC, through its wide receivers coach, Dennis Simmons, had been recruiting the WR under the radar since the 8th grade, and that stood out for Feaster.

“I trust Coach Simmons. He’s coached guys like CeeDee Lamb, Michael Crabtree, and Jordan Addison. I feel good about what I can do with him,” said Feaster last month after he announced his commitment to Lincoln Riley’s camp. So, due to this history and relationship, it’s quite unexpected that the player will decommit. Not just that, he has also touted another reason leaving USC wouldn’t make sense for the guy.

Lincoln Riley becomes a beacon of NFL hope for Ethan Feaster

Ethan Feaster has some serious talent, probably unmatched in his class. His body control and ability to track the ball are often deemed “elite.” Back in 2024, he caught 57 passes for 824 yards while playing for his high school in DeSoto, Texas, helping his team make it to the semifinals of the 6A Division II playoffs. The year before, he racked up 634 yards with an impressive average of 19.8 yards per catch. Feaster knows he’s got skills, which is why he picked the ‘QB whisperer’ over anyone else.

“They told me I was the best wide receiver in the class, no matter the 2025s, 2026s, or 2027, and that meant a lot. They’re going to put me in the best position to go in the first round. I know Coach Riley, no matter what, he’s going to throw the ball and get it to his best player, and they’re always going to have a quarterback,” said Ethan Feaster on choosing Lincoln Riley.

It does help when you have developed QBs like Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts, and Caleb Williams, boasting 3 Heisman trophies. Any receiver in this case would trust Riley’s air raid offense to promise the level of production the WR desires. So, Feaster’s choice was no exception in that. Moreover, since Oklahoma wasn’t even in Feaster’s top 4 programs this year, when he narrowed the colleges to 4, that would most likely signify that Oklahoma, at least, won’t have the luxury to flip Feaster.