Florida’s push for Easton Royal is only getting louder, and Steve Sarkisian is clearly feeling it.
The 5-star wide receiver out of Louisiana remains committed to Texas, but the buzz around Gainesville has grown enough that Florida is now being talked about as a real threat to flip him. Jon Sumrall has made Royal a top priority in the 2027 class, and after a recent official visit to Florida, another trip to Gainesville could be coming soon.
That kind of momentum has Texas on alert. Sarkisian, with Texas on a bye, reportedly wasted no time getting on a plane to New Orleans to check in on his pledge. The timing says plenty: Florida’s interest is not being ignored in Austin.
Royal’s recruitment has had the feel of something unsettled for a while. He has remained committed to Texas, but the chatter has continued that he has had one foot out the door. Now, with Florida gaining ground, the Gators are being viewed as perhaps the biggest challenge to keeping him locked in with the Longhorns.
There’s still time for things to change. The Early Signing Period does not arrive until early December, which gives Sumrall, Lane Kiffin and others roughly two months to keep working on Royal. The comparison being floated is Tennessee’s flip of 5-star wide receiver Tristen Keys from LSU last year, and the setup is starting to feel similar.
Royal’s most recent visit to Gainesville clearly left an impression. After that trip, he said he could “100 percent” see himself playing in Florida’s offense. That kind of comment is enough to make any fan base lean in, especially when it comes from a player ranked as the No. 1 wide receiver in the country and the No. 5 player overall in the 247Sports Composite.
At 5-11 and 205 pounds, Royal is one of the biggest names on the board in the 2027 cycle, and Florida has done a lot to make him think. Sumrall got him on campus for the dominant win over Ole Miss, and the atmosphere in The Swamp, along with the offense’s showing, gave the Gators another strong selling point.
For now, LSU had seemed like the school best positioned to make a run, with Kiffin working to sell Royal on staying close to home. But Florida has surged into the picture in a major way, and Sumrall’s energy on the trail has clearly resonated.
If Royal does take another trip to Gainesville, that visit could go a long way toward shaping the rest of his recruitment. Right now, Florida has every reason to believe this race is far from over.
In Other News...
Why Floridas Offense Should Worry Missouri More Than Fans Realize
Floridas offense has shown it can turn ordinary field position into real trouble for an opponent, and that matters in a matchup where Missouri has leaned heavily on short fields. The Gators have already found the end zone on drives that begin around their own 35-yard line, which suggests they are capable of stacking plays, surviving long possessions and finishing those marches with points instead of settling for field goals.
Missouris offense has been productive, but much of that damage has come with favorable starting position, and its average touchdown drive is the shortest in the country. Even more telling, the Tigers have struggled to turn drives after punts or kickoffs into meaningful production against FBS opponents, while Florida has had success doing exactly that with 16 touchdowns on those kinds of possessions in its games. For a Missouri defense that may not be able to count on easy margins, the Gators ability to travel the length of the field is the part that should raise the most concern. [Read more 🡒]
Brian Kelly Just Put Florida's Fast Start On Upset Watch
Floridas early surge is drawing plenty of confidence from national observers, but it is not unanimous. As the Gators head into Saturdays 3:30 p.m. ET matchup at Missouris Faurot Field, three CBS Sports analysts backed No. 8 Florida to keep rolling, pointing to a rushing attack that has given the offense a sturdy identity and to questions about how Missouri will hold up defensively.
Brian Kelly was the outlier, though, and his pick landed with some weight because of the program context around it. The former LSU and Notre Dame head coach went against the grain and called for No. 25 Missouri to spring the upset, putting a little extra tension on a game Florida was expected to control. For a team trying to protect its ranking and keep its fast start intact, it is the sort of outside skepticism that adds a little more edge to an already interesting SEC road test. [Read more 🡒]
Florida May Be Building Recruiting Momentum Where FSU Fans Least Want It
A recruiting battle in Tallahassee is starting to tilt Floridas way, at least on paper. ArTavian Bubba Brown, the four-star wide receiver prospect who transferred to Florida State University School this year, has been predicted by recruiting analysts to land with the Gators, a development that would resonate well beyond the normal early-cycle chatter.
Brown has already made unofficial visits to Auburn and Alabama, so there is still plenty of road left in his recruitment. Even so, Floridas early work in the class of 2028 is beginning to gather attention, with three players already committed and more pledges expected to follow as the Gators try to build momentum before the process gets any louder. [Read more 🡒]