Texas is spending its bye week the way elite programs do: on the recruiting trail, trying to keep its grip on one of the class of 2027’s most coveted playmakers.
The main name in that fight is Easton Royal, a 5-star wide receiver commit who has been pledged to the Longhorns since last November. Texas has held onto that commitment, but the pressure hasn’t let up. Florida and LSU are still pushing hard, and the buzz around a possible flip has only grown louder.
Steve Sarkisian has already made sure to get face time with Royal this week, according to Longhorns insider Anwar Richardson, as Texas works to steady the situation before other visits stack up. Royal is expected to be in Gainesville on Oct. 10, when the No.
8 Gators host South Carolina, and that trip will be his second time seeing Florida. He was also in the stands for Florida’s dominant win over Ole Miss last weekend.
Royal, a 5-11 receiver from New Orleans, also plans to run track in college. He was in Austin for Texas’ comeback win over Ohio State, and LSU has also had its shot at him, hosting him for its season-opening win over Clemson. More recently, LSU coach Lane Kiffin’s special assistant, national championship-winning coach Ed Orgeron, was reportedly on the sideline for one of Royal’s games for Brother Martin.
Royal is ranked as the No. 5 overall prospect in the 2027 class and the top-rated wide receiver. On3 lists him as one of two 5-star Texas commitments, alongside offensive tackle Ismael Camara.
Texas’ recruiting class is sitting at No. 6 nationally and second in the SEC behind Texas A&M. The Longhorns added 11 commitments in June alone, a surge that pushed the class into the national top 10 and brought in several high-end pieces, including four-star offensive tackle Brian Swanson, defensive lineman Kasi Currie and defensive back Montre Jackson. Texas also landed four-star running back Landen Williams-Callis and Camara, both of whom helped raise the ceiling of the group.
Another major addition came with John Meredith III, who was ranked as the No. 2 player in the 2027 class before being ruled ineligible to compete this high school season. Meredith reclassified into the 2026 class and joined the program for this season.
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