LSU missed out on its top in-state target. Five-star wide receiver Easton Royal flipped his commitment from Texas to Florida on Sunday, his family told ESPN. The Brother Martin star is originally from New Orleans.
For months, the expectation around Baton Rouge was that Royal would end up at LSU. At one point LSU was seen as the clear threat to flip him to Death Valley, but sources had cooled down by this month. Royal shut down his recruitment and canceled his planned visits to Texas and Baton Rouge. That includes the November trip LSU was counting on.
Florida’s push got a much needed boost from an old relationship. Royal’s bond with Jon Sumrall’s staff goes back to Sumrall’s time at Tulane. Royal also originally committed to Texas just one day before Sumrall was hired at Florida, which left the door open for Royal. The Gators’ recent home games helped as well. Royal watched Florida beat Ole Miss 52-28, then returned for the South Carolina game on October 9th. The flip came a day after Florida lost 38-19 to South Carolina, so the loss didn’t seem to delay his decision.
For Florida, it’s a major get. Royal’s commitment lifts the Gators to the No. 6 class in the nation, per Rivals. If he signs in December, he’d be Florida’s highest ranked receiver signee since Percy Harvin in 2006.
For LSU and Lane Kiffin, it stings. Royal is a five-star receiver from New Orleans, and he’s headed to an SEC rival. Kiffin and company had been pushing hard since arriving in Baton Rouge, but the Tigers couldn’t close the deal.
Commitments aren’t final until the early signing period in December, and Texas or LSU could still try to win him over. For now, though, Royal is a Gator.
— Eric Palmer, TigerSources