Easton Royal, top WR in '27, flips to Florida from Texas - ESPN

Five-star wide receiver prospect Easton Royal, the longest-tenured member of Texas 2027 recruiting class, has flipped his commitment to Florida, his family told ESPN on Sunday.

The 6-foot, 205-pound pass catcher from New Orleans is the top-ranked wide receiver and No. 8 overall prospect in the SC Next ESPN 300. His move comes one day after Royal's latest visit with the Gators during the program's 38-19 loss to South Carolina on Saturday and follows months of intense flip interest from multiple SEC programs, including LSU, Ole Miss and Tennessee.

Upon his decision, Royal is expected to cancel previously scheduled visits to Texas and LSU and plans to fully shut down his recruiting process, per multiple sources close to the recruitment.

Royal's flip marks a seismic recruiting victory for first-year Florida coach Jon Sumrall, who led the Gators to a 4-0 start before back-to-back losses to Missouri and South Carolina.

Operating just seven miles from Royal and New Orleans' Brother High School, Sumrall initially offered Royal as the head coach of Tulane in March 2025. Sumrall resumed his pursuit of Royal following his arrival to Florida late last year, and the Gators landed one of Royal's three official visits alongside LSU and Texas this spring. The longstanding relationship between Royal and Sumrall's staff was ultimately critical to finally swaying Royal's pledge to Florida.

«I know [Sumrall] is a winner,» Royal told ESPN this summer. «He won at Tulane and took them to the College Football Playoff. I know what he's all about. He's the type of coach I want to play for.»

Royal, Louisiana's No. 2 recruit, now stands as one of the crown jewels in Sumrall's debut recruiting class with the Gators, joining five-star offensive