Final decision ended up coming down to USC and Texas A&M for Ethan 'Boobie' Feaster

The Fourth of July celebrations started off early for USC fans as Ethan 'Boobie' Feaster announced his commitment to the Trojans on Friday. It is a decision that looked as if it would be heading in that direction, but there was still a certain element of the unknown heading into the weekend regarding the mindset of the Texas wideout.

Now knowing that Feaster will become a Trojan, the wide receiver spoke with WeAreSC.com's Scott Schrader about what ultimately played the biggest factor in his eventual decision.

Feaster mentioned how the offense is going to be extremely friendly toward what he is looking to accomplish at the collegiate level. For him, the way in which the Trojan staff, and coach Dennis Simmons in particular, ensured that he would be taken care of and cared for in Los Angeles and how they welcomed his family played a major factor as to why he ended up going with the Cardinal and Gold.

Knowing the type of commitment that USC would be making, not just for him as a player but also for when his family comes to visit, ended up being important. From the latest official visit especially, Feaster mentioned how comfortable he felt and how welcome the Trojans made him feel.

These are the types of statements that illustrate how NIL and money are far from the top priorities when it comes to a prospect making their decisions. Of course, that will still enter into the equation. The overall culture and how receptive a program is to a player and his family will continue to weigh an important part of the equation as decision day comes for all athletes.

Interesting final development that led to USC

It must be noted that, according to Feaster, the decision ended up coming down to USC and Texas A&M. When last on the field, both teams faced each other at the Las Vegas Bowl. That win at the time was certainly an excellent way to cap off the end of the season at the time, especially for the departing seniors. It has to also be admitted that few would have those games circled as the ultimate goal at the beginning of a season.

Not meaning to be a slight whatsoever, this only shows how programs that have not performed among the highest levels of the sport are increasingly seeing more of a chance to turn things around through the portal and recruiting.

With coach Mike Elko, as is the case with Coach Lincoln Riley, there is a genuine belief that both teams are heading in the right direction. This proved to be so much the case that Feaster ended up having a final choice between them, instead of it coming down to the likes of LSU or Alabama.