LSU’s pursuit of Easton Royal just got a fresh twist.
The Brother Martin standout and top wide receiver in the 2027 class has flipped his commitment from Texas to Florida, according to Sunday’s update. Royal, a New Orleans native, is still very much on the radar for LSU, but his latest move has added another layer to an already busy recruitment.
Royal is rated by 247sports.com as a five-star prospect, the No. 5 player in the nation, and the No. 1 player in Louisiana. At 5-foot-11 and 214 pounds, he had been committed to Texas since Nov. 29 of last year before backing off that pledge after a Florida visit over the weekend. That trip came even after Florida was beaten 38-19 by underdog South Carolina on Saturday.
LSU had already brought Royal in for a visit on May 28, and there is talk he may cancel a future trip to Baton Rouge.
Florida coach Jon Sumrall has been in Royal’s orbit for a while. Sumrall began recruiting him while coaching at Tulane, then moved on to Florida after last season.
Royal explained his interest in Sumrall to ESPN over the summer: “I know he’s a winner,” Royal said of Sumrall to ESPN over the summer. “He won at Tulane and took them to the College Football Playoff (in 2025).
I know what he’s all about. He’s the type of coach I want to play for.”
Sumrall’s run at Tulane included an 11-3 season last year and a loss at Ole Miss in the first round of the College Football Playoff before he took the Florida job after LSU coach Lane Kiffin turned down the Florida job. Sumrall went 9-5 in 2024 after stepping into a program that had gone 11-3 in 2023 and 12-2 in 2022 under Willie Fritz. Fritz left Tulane for Houston after the 2023 season.
Arkansas, Auburn and Tennessee are also among the schools still recruiting Royal.
In Other News...
Lane Kiffin Blasts Officiating Logic After Kentuckys Controversial TD
Lane Kiffin spent part of the conversation after Kentuckys overtime loss focused less on the final score and more on the logic behind a touchdown that stirred plenty of debate. The play in question involved a push at the goal line, and Kiffin said the line judge told him it was not stopped because of the stakes attached to the moment, a rationale he clearly did not accept.
From LSUs perspective, the larger issue was consistency. Kiffins gripe was that rules should mean the same thing no matter when they come up, and he also pointed to other officiating calls and the communication around them as part of what left him frustrated during the game. The result only sharpened the feeling that the nights most important moments were not handled with much clarity. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs Season Outlook Suddenly Hinges On One Unsettled Roster Issue
The early read on LSUs 2026-27 season is not a flattering one. The SEC preseason media poll has the Tigers pegged for 14th in the conference, and the preseason All-SEC teams came and went without an LSU player making the cut. That leaves a program trying to build momentum while also working through a roster that is still not fully settled.
LSU did beat McNeese State in an exhibition game, but the win came with only a limited number of players available. That is the larger issue hanging over the season outlook right now, because the Tigers are still waiting on multiple players to become eligible. Until that clears up, it is hard to know what LSUs actual ceiling looks like once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Suddenly Has A Big Mississippi State Question This Week
Mississippi States quarterback situation is suddenly one of the weeks most important storyline for LSU, with Kamario Taylor still working through a right-leg injury that has lingered since late September. Jeff Lebby has not offered a firm update on Taylors availability, and that uncertainty leaves the Tigers preparing for a matchup that could look very different depending on who is under center.
Billy Puckett and AJ Swann have both been mentioned as possible starters if Taylor cannot go, which adds another layer for LSU to monitor as the week unfolds. The next real checkpoint comes with Wednesdays injury report, when the picture should get clearer and the Tigers will know whether theyre getting the version of Mississippi State they expected or a backup-led offense with a different feel entirely. [Read more 🡒]