Nation’s No. 9 WR Recruit Targeted for Flip by Major College Football Programs

One of the highest placed wide receivers in the 2027 college football recruiting cycle has already given his commitment to a rising team that was in the playoff last season, but that hasn’t stopped other elite programs from trying to change his mind.

Four-star Humble (Tex.) wide receiver Benny Easter, Jr. has already given his pledge to a Big 12 insurgent program that was in the College Football Playoff, four other schools are looking to flip him to their side before he makes his final decision.

Where is he pledged now?

Currently, the wide receiver is committed to reigning Big 12 champion Texas Tech, and he remains a big fan of the program, what it’s done, and what he thinks it can do again.

Easter is considered the third-most important pledge to the Red Raiders in the 2027 cycle.

That puts him behind No. 2 quarterback Kavian Bryant and consensus No. 1 defensive lineman Jalen Brewster, himself the target of a potential flip by other programs.

Who wants to flip Easter?

Considered one of the 10 best wide receivers in the 2027 high school class, Easter is getting serious attention from three SEC programs and one Big Ten blue blood.

Easter is set to meet with LSU on April 17, then to Ohio State on May 29, traveling to Ole Miss on June 5, and then to Alabama on June 19, according to Rivals.

Between those new visits, Eastern will meet again with his current favorite Texas Tech on June 12.

“They’re putting in the effort to get me to flip,” Easter said of the other schools.

But he added: “I’m locked in [with Texas Tech]. I just need to see these schools.”

Highly-ranked schools are involved

Three of the four schools interested in Easter are inside the top dozen of the industry weighted 2027 college football recruiting rankings entering March.

No. 2 ranked Ohio State, the former No. 1 team recently overtaken by Oklahoma, boasts five-star No. 3 wide receiver Jamier Brown to its class.

Alabama, considered by analysts as the No. 12 recruiting class in ‘27, has no wide receiver commitments as of now. Neither has No. 11 ranked Ole Miss.

LSU remains outside the top 35 and also without a wide receiver recruit, but has No. 4 edge rusher Jaiden Bryant and No. 7 quarterback Peyton Houston onside.

Texas Tech has the fewest commitments (4) of any school inside the top 10 nationally, but it’s a strong group that propelled the program to an average No. 4 recruiting ranking.

How he ranks as a prospect

Easter has been one of the most highly considered wide receiver prospects and one of the top 50 overall players in the 2027 class right from the beginning.

The native of Humble, Texas is rated as the No. 9 wide receiver in the nation and the No. 47 overall prospect in high school at any position, according to an industry weighted average of the national recruiting services.

That average also marks Easter as the No. 9 overall recruit from the talent-rich state of Texas at any position.

What he’s done on the field

Easter has covered over 2,000 yards in 29 appearances for Summer Creek High School outside Houston over the last two seasons.

Last season was his most productive, catching 89 passes for 1,309 yards while averaging nearly 94 yards per game and scoring a personal best 19 touchdowns.

The year before, Eastern had 46 catches for 987 yards with just under 66 yards per game and scored 12 touchdowns.

Altogether, the wide receiver has 135 receptions for 2,296 yards while posting almost 80 yards per game and scoring 31 total touchdowns, according to MaxPreps.

(Rivals)