The Texas Longhorns made a big splash when landing class of 2027 wide receiver Easton Royal. Out of New Orleans, Louisiana, he is a five-star recruit, the No. 1 wide receiver, the No. 1 player in his state and the No. 6 player in the nation, according to Rivals Industry Rankings.
However, in today's high school recruiting landscape, nothing ever really feels like a done deal. Despite his commitments to the Longhorns, Royal has kept his options open. Over the past two months, he's taken official visits with the LSU Tigers (May 29), Florida Gators (June 11) and Texas (June 19).
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With a handful of top programs in pursuit of a flip, his loyalty to the Longhorns is being tested. Unfortunately for Texas, when speaking to Rivals' Sam Spiegelman, Royal made it clear the battle isn't over.
“It’s tighter than ever,” Royal said. “It’s something to definitely lose sleep about. I’m just really trying just to trying make to make sure that the decision I make is for all of the right reasons, and it makes sense for me and also my family. Trying to make sure this decision sets me up for life after ball as well.”
It's not shocking that each of these teams is competing for a flip. Last season for the Brother Martin Crusaders, he earned first-team MaxPreps Junior All-American honors with 57 receptions for 1,374 yards and 19 touchdowns.
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Losing Royal would be a major blow to the Longhorns' 2027 cycle. The only other wide receivers they've landed are four-star Briceson Thrower (No. 48 WR) and three-star Kyron Brown (No. 109 WR).
While Texas remains in a strong position, it must hold on until either the early signing period on Dec. 4, or the traditional national signing day on Feb. 5, 2027.
