Indiana’s push for Monshun Sales may have just caught a break.
The 5-star wide receiver’s recruitment has been tightening down to the wire, with Texas standing as the biggest threat to the Hoosiers. Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns have made a real move over the last month, and with Sales set to decide in three days, the race has plenty of people watching closely.
But there’s a twist inside Texas’ own class that could matter. The Longhorns already hold a commitment from 5-star wideout Easton Royal, the No. 1 receiver and No. 6 overall player in the 2027 class. And according to Texas recruiting insider Justin Wells, that pairing may be more fantasy than reality.
In an interview with Rivals’ Josh Newberg, Wells said Texas would love to land both elite receivers, but he has a tough time seeing it happen. He pointed to the fact that both players are making decisions around what fits them best.
"They're not going to the same school," Well said. "I think they're both making decisions based off both of their needs and what their factors are. I have a really hard time seeing both of those kids in the same class."
That’s the kind of line Indiana fans want to hear. Curt Cignetti is trying to land the first-ever 5-star high school recruit in program history, and Royal’s commitment to Texas appears to be helping keep the Hoosiers in the fight for Sales.
Still, this whole picture could change fast if Royal flips.
Talk around a possible move away from Texas has been building for months, and LSU has been the school most aggressively working to pull him back home. Royal, who plays at Brother Martin High School in New Orleans, has been a major target for Lane Kiffin and the Tigers. If LSU were to land him, Texas would suddenly become an even more dangerous player in Sales’ recruitment.
That would be a problem for Indiana, because the Longhorns are already in the mix for Sales. A Royal departure would only strengthen their case for another elite receiver.
LSU is also in the hunt for Sales, though the Tigers are currently viewed as an outside shot for the Lawrence North product. Indiana, Texas, LSU, Ohio State and Alabama are the finalists.
Sales is ranked as the No. 2 WR and No. 7 overall player in the updated Rivals300 rankings.
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