Florida landed the nation’s top wide receiver recruit Sunday when New Orleans Brother Martin star Easton Royal flipped his commitment from Texas, giving first-year coach Jon Sumrall a second five-star commitment in the 2027 class.
Royal ranks No. 5 overall and No. 1 at receiver in the Rivals Industry Rankings, and he broke the news to Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett with a three-word summary: “Dreams to reality.” The Louisiana native had been committed to the Longhorns since Nov. 29, 2025.
How Florida flipped Easton Royal
Florida’s push picked up speed after Royal’s Sept. 26 game-day visit to Gainesville, where the Gators beat then-No. 4 Ole Miss and put up 52 points. He left the Swamp saying he could picture himself playing there.
“One-hundred-percent, I can,” Royal told Rivals’ Sam Spiegelman. “That offense looks very explosive.”
Sumrall’s relationship with the speedster goes back to his time at Tulane, where members of his current staff recruited him. Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong then logged an expert prediction for the Gators before Royal returned to Gainesville for Saturday’s homecoming game against South Carolina.
Florida lost to the Gamecocks, but Royal said this season’s results wouldn’t shape his choice and blamed injuries at receiver, including the absence of Vernell Brown III. The staff also sold him on an immediate role in the offense.
“They tell me that Eric Singleton will be gone and they will need me to come in and replace him and stretch the field,” Royal told Gator Country.
Easton Royal’s ranking and production
Rivals ranks Royal No. 3 nationally, while ESPN slots him at No. 8 and 247Sports puts him at No. 15. Every major service lists him as a top-two receiver, and he’s the top-ranked prospect in Louisiana.
The 5-foot-11, 200-pound receiver caught 54 passes for 1,065 yards and 15 touchdowns in 13 games as a junior in 2025. He also runs track and owns a 10.17-second time in the 100 meters.
Royal earned MVP honors at the Under Armour All-America Game in January after a one-handed touchdown catch over fellow five-star Joshua Dobson. Rivals’ scouting team compares him to former Gators star Percy Harvin in his Rivals profile.
He joins interior offensive lineman Maxwell Hiller, the No. 2 overall prospect, as Florida’s second five-star pledge in the 2027 cycle.
What’s next for Texas and LSU?
Royal’s flip came one day after Oklahoma upset then-No. 1 Texas in the Red River Rivalry. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns host Florida on Oct. 17 in Austin, a game Royal had listed among his remaining visits before he flipped.
“I have a Florida vs. Texas and then LSU vs. Texas games,” Royal said Saturday.
LSU spent most of the summer as the favorite to flip him. Lane Kiffin took the Tigers job the day after Royal committed to Texas, and Spiegelman forecast an LSU flip in late July.
Royal had also scheduled a Nov. 14 trip to Baton Rouge for the Texas at LSU game. He can sign with Florida during the early signing period in December.
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