LSU Football and Florida Gators Among Schools Pushing to Flip Five-Star Texas Commit

Lane Kiffin and Co. have a foot on the gas for the coveted pass-catcher, Florida Gators also in the race.

Courtesy of Easton Royal's Instagram.

Lane Kiffin and the LSU Tigers remain in pursuit of New Orleans (La.) Brother Martin five-star wide receiver Easton Royal as his meteoric rise continues in the 2027 Recruiting Cycle.

Royal checks in as the No. 1 wideout in America with the hometown LSU Tigers battling for his pledge, but it's set to be an uphill climb with Steve Sarkisian's Texas Longhorns holding the verbal commitment.

The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder has earned offers from the LSU Tigers, Ole Miss Rebels, Florida Gators, Texas Longhorns, Michigan Wolverines, Oregon Ducks, Florida State Seminoles, and Tennessee Volunteers, among several others, across the last few months.

But it's Sarkisian and Co. that hold the verbal pledge from Louisiana's No. 1 prospect after he went public with a decision on Nov. 29.

During his sophomore campaign in 2024, Easton was a Catholic League All-District First-Team selection with more than 1,100 all-purpose yards for the Brother Martin Crusaders. He also logged double-digit touchdowns.

Courtesy of Easton Royal's Instagram [

Fast forward to Royal's junior season in 2025 and he once again took America by storm after another year where he stuffed the stat sheet - earning a myriad of honors in the Bayou State.

Now, after back-to-back strong campaigns on the prep scene, Royal has emerged as the top-ranked wideout in America with multiple schools pushing to flip the current Texas Longhorns commitment - including the LSU Tigers and Florida Gators.

Jon Sumrall and the Florida coaching staff hosted Royal on an unofficial visit last month as the program intensifies its pursuit while Lane Kiffin and the LSU Tigers checked in with the elite pass-catcher for an in-person visit in January.

Courtesy of Easton Royal on Instagram.

LSU is intensifying its pursuit for the top-ranked prospects in Louisiana with Royal - the No. 1 player in the state - sitting as the top priority for the new-look Tigers staff.

"The high schools here, it's been great going to them and receiving the feedback. I've always enjoyed, over time, coming here and recruiting. I used to always say it's like: They love football. Everybody says they love football but the high school coaches here and the people in school, they love football," Kiffin said.

"They love coaching football. They love coaching the kids. They genuinely care about the kids. Something that's kind of gotten lost a little bit. I'd love to sign a lot of Louisiana kids.

More LSU News:

Five-Star LSU Football Signee, No. 1 Player in America Labeled 'Most College Ready'

Lane Kiffin on the Road: LSU Football Travels Across America To See Elite Targets

LSU Football Believes This Transfer Portal Addition Can Elevate Lane Kiffin's Tigers

Join the Community:

Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and LSU Tigers On SI: @LSUTigersSI for all coverage surrounding the LSU Tigers.