Just a month ago, Steve Sarkisian’s Texas Longhorns hosted 5-star wide receiver Monshun Sales on an official visit. Immediately, major predictions favored Texas to land him, and Sark had a real chance to land a second 5-star WR in his 2027 class. In a shock move, though, Sales chose Indiana. Now, in a major recruiting blow, the Longhorns are expected to lose another 5-star WR.

As per Sam Spiegelman of Rivals, Texas can lose Easton Royal, the No.1 WR of the 2027 class, who may flip to LSU despite committing to the Longhorns last November.

“There is chatter from the LSU side and the Texas side,” Sam Spiegelman said on the July 21, 2026 episode of Rivals’ Inside Scoop podcast. “He is still weighing these two schools as options, and I expect that to be the case for the foreseeable future. The way that the tea leaves are falling, it bodes well for LSU in the future. And I couldn’t agree more. LSU over Florida is the biggest threat to flip Eastern Royal away from the Longhorns.”

Royal committed to Texas in November, drawn by Sarkisian’s NFL development track record, academics, and the atmosphere in Austin. But he has kept his recruiting open, taking visits throughout the spring and summer. In truth, Royal has always been transparent about maintaining relationships with other programs—including his in-state powerhouse, LSU.

“All day at school, all of my friends are pushing me to flip to the LSU Tigers. You only get this process once – so I’m committed to Texas, but I’m still trying to figure out if that’s the best decision for me,” Easton Royal said about his LSU interest, as per USA Today. “The ultimate end goal is to make the best decision for my family and me. Coach Lane [Kiffin] and I are building a relationship. He texts me often…”

Royal, a New Orleans native from Brother Martin High School, has strong ties to the community. LSU is leaning hard on its ‘stay in the boot’ mantra to keep him home. Not just that, last year, when LSU offered Royal, it was one of the best offers for him. The major thing driving Royal’s interest in LSU was its history of being the ‘WR-U’ and his opinion that “only the best players play there.”

Royal has already made three visits to LSU, and the Tigers have made him their top priority. While the program has a 4-star and a 3-star WR commit, landing Royal would elevate their receiver room to elite status under Kiffin.

At 5’11” and 200 lbs, Royal is the 6th-ranked recruit overall and has consistently shown high-level talent in high school.

LSU Expected to Flip Easton Royal Owing to the In-State Ties

Royal is a versatile threat with blazing speed. As a sophomore, he ran the 100-meter dash in 10.3 seconds and displayed exceptional route running and downfield ability. His high school numbers show that ability as a multisport athlete.

“If you speak to people in Baton Rouge and Gainesville and Austin, they’ll all tell you the same thing,” Spiegelman said. “There is a ton of pressure when you are a five-star prospect from New Orleans, Louisiana considering LSU. It is also very difficult to leave Louisiana when you are a five-star prospect that LSU covets.”

In his junior season in high school, he notched more than 2,000 all-purpose yards and 29 touchdowns. Because of his performances, he was voted the Louisiana 5A Offensive MVP. Before that, in 2024, he accumulated 1,1,49 yards for 14 touchdowns. In all, if LSU manages to flip him, he will be a much greater steal than many expect for the Baton Rouge program.