Florida flips No. 1 WR Easton Royal from Texas

New Orleans Brother Martin Five-Star Plus+ wide receiver Easton Royal has flipped his commitment from Texas to Florida, giving head coach Jon Sumrall and the Gators a landmark recruiting win this cycle.

Royal was committed to the Longhorns for nearly a year. He pledged on Nov. 29 last fall, but he never shut his recruitment down. Many schools continued to pursue the elite pass-catcher, but it ultimately came down to LSU and Florida.

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Both schools have garnered momentum at various points this year, while Texas also did all it could to keep Royal in the fold. It was a recent visit to Gainesville that really propelled UF in front, though. He watched the Gators throttle Ole Miss and was impressed by the atmosphere and the program.

He left that visit telling Rivals’ Sam Spiegelman that he could “100-percent” see himself playing college football at Florida. Not long after, he’s now flipped his commitment with the December signing period coming soon.

Royal is the No. 5 overall prospect and No. 1 WR in the 2027 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings, a weighted average that utilizes all major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 1 prospect in Louisiana.

Coincidentally, Royal reminds Rivals’ Scouting and Rankings Team of former Gator great Percy Harvin. He’s now on track to rock the blue and orange, too. Royal becomes Florida’s second five-star commitment this cycle, flanking interior offensive lineman Maxwell Hiller, the No. 2 overall prospect.