LSU had all the momentum in WR Easton Royal’s recruitment after he visited Baton Rouge at the end of May. The Rivals’ No. 1 WR even canceled his June visits to Ole Miss and Tennessee after he talked to Lane Kiffin and Ed Orgeron. However, as per a recruiting expert, another SEC program is leading the race to flip Royal from Texas.

“I would pick Florida again,” Steve Wiltfong said on Wiltfong Whiparound, disagreeing with the idea of LSU as the favorite. “It’s kind of similar to Jalen Brewster. I would pick Florida. LSU, they’ve been steady, and I think there’s some confidence around Baton Rouge. They can get it done.”

“The Longhorns are extremely hard to flip a blue-chip around. They’ve done a great job getting him in the fold and talking to colleagues around the network. I feel like there’s a lot of confidence around Austin that they hang on to him, but the Florida Gators get him in for an official visit this weekend. And they’ll continue shooting their shot with Easton Royal,” Wiltfong added.

The confidence around Baton Rouge comes from the fact that Royal is an in-state prospect. The No. 1 player in Louisiana has visited the LSU campus three times. After his last visit, Royal told Fox 8 New Orleans that the trip made him “want to suit up right in that moment and then run into Death Valley.”

However, the WR has also expressed admiration for the Rators, a team he grew up watching. On their part, the Gators have been dominating on the recruiting front, ranking fourth in the nation with a total of 23 commits for the 2027 class. They also lead the nation in the number of blue-chip talents (16). The Gators host Royal on June 11, and that could become the deciding factor. However, a former Florida coach could also be the reason Royal stays with the Longhorns.

The WR has built a strong bond with Texas’s running backs coach, Jabbar Juluke, who has previous coaching experience in Louisiana (LSU and Louisiana). Steve Sarkisian poached him from the Gators in December 2025. And despite being an RB coach, Juluke has helped WR coach Chris Jackson keep the five-star prospect engaged over the last six months.

Royal made his commitment last November, and he immediately attended Texas’ 27-17 victory over Texas A&M at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium. He remains unwavering after six months, and more importantly, Texas is the last to host him for an OV.

Easton Royal on LSU 

LSU knew the kind of talent it had in its hands. He not only ran the 100 meters in 10.17 seconds to break a state record, but he also clocked 4.29 seconds in his 40-yard dash and earned 5A Offensive MVP honors by racking up 2,095 all-purpose yards and 29 total touchdowns. As such, LSU did its best to impress him during his visit, and it worked.

“It’s different,” he said. “They’ve been showing me how they can develop me. Coach Mac pulled me into the office and showed me clips of the little things I need to work on that he recorded himself. He showed me drills of him fixing that. It’s the little things that help me prepare for going to the NFL. They made a very big, significant jump,” he said. “They’re in a very good spot. They’re very close to Texas now after this weekend.”

However, despite these glowing remarks about his in-state program, it remains to be seen whether his LSU interest is a ploy to secure a better NIL offer from Texas or a genuine interest in playing for Lane Kiffin.