No. 1 WR Easton Royal flips from Texas to Florida

In one of the least surprising recruiting news of the cycle, five-star receiver Easton Royal flipped from the Texas Longhorns to the Florida Gators on Saturday, a day after taking another visit to Gainesville.

Royal was one of the first players to join the 2027 Texas class, making the decision last November, but experts knew the competition for his services would continue through to the early signing period. At several points in the recruiting process, his hometown LSU Tigers were the biggest threat to flip him, but after a visit with the Florida Gators and their upset win over the Mississippi Rebels, the Gators entered the race as a legitimate threat.

The flip presents a major blow to the class, with the No. 1 wide receiver in the country choosing to take his talents elsewhere to Gainesville in the huge coup for first-year head coach Jon Sumrall. The departure of the New Orleans product leaves Texas with two wide receivers in the class and just one in the top 300 — Briceson Thrower Jr. from North Forney.

If Texas can’t add another difference-maker at wide receiver before signing day in December, it would mark the second cycle the Longhorns have failed to add a top-100 pass catcher, with Jermaine Bishop classified as an athlete when he arrived on campus.

Texas has several young options in the room who could fill out the depth chart in the coming years alongside Bishop, including Kaliq Lockett and Daylan McCutcheon, who have demanded their share of snaps in the last two seasons. However, Steve Sarkisian and his staff have shown they’re not afraid to dip in the portal for a short-term rental if they need to bolster the numbers, with Adonai Mitchell and Matthew Golden coming to the Forty Acres and making a name for themselves.