The battle for Easton Royal, the nation’s top wide receiver prospect, is entering the home stretch. The Brother Martin High School star from New Orleans is one of the most wanted players in the country. Right now, Royal is committed to Texas, but he recently narrowed his choices down to three schools: Texas, LSU, and Florida. To keep everyone on their toes, the 5-star recruit decided to take summer visits to LSU and Florida first, deliberately saving Texas for his final stop.

“I purposely made Texas my last official visit. Obviously, that’s the school that I’m committed to. I still want to keep my options open and give LSU and Florida a chance,” Royal told Fox 8. He is not sounding like a player ready to slam the door on anyone, but like a teenager trying to sort through a life-changing choice, one visit at a time, with Texas holding the last word in the room.

Texas has been in a strong position ever since Royal committed to the Longhorns last November. In recruiting, getting the final official visit can be a big advantage. It gives head coach Steve Sarkisian and wide receivers coach Chris Jackson one last chance to answer questions, talk about the future, and remind Royal why he chose Texas in the very first place.

Royal has been open and honest with the Texas coaching staff throughout the process. He has kept them informed about his visits and continues to have a strong relationship with the program. Unless another school comes up with something impossible to ignore, Texas remains in a very good position to keep its commitment.

LSU has not let up. Since Lane Kiffin arrived in Baton Rouge, the Tigers have stayed in the mix and made Easton Royal one of their top priorities, especially after bringing in Ed Orgeron to help on the recruiting trail.

To make a statement, the staff even brought back legendary former national championship coach Ed Orgeron to deliver a speech during a major official visit weekend in Baton Rouge. He openly admitted that Coach O’s return had him thinking about LSU for a while.

It’s not that difficult to see why both teams are fighting dogs and cats over him because last season at Brother High, Easton Royal finished his junior year with 2,095 all-purpose yards and 29 touchdowns. He also bagged Offensive MVP honors in Louisiana’s 5A division.

End of the day, Royal is enjoying the ride but remains highly realistic about how much of a business the recruiting world has become. He is completely open about the fact that Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) financial packages are a real, unavoidable factor for his family’s long-term future, even if developmental coaching remains his main priority.

By saving his final official visit to Texas, he is giving himself the perfect chance to clear his mind and evaluate his options honestly before signing his name on the dotted line. However, Lane Kiffin and co. are still pushing hard behind the scenes in Baton Rouge. Reports say LSU is building a substantial NIL package, and that is a big reason this race has stayed alive even with Texas in the lead.

LSU is cutting out a record-breaking bag for Easton

According to a report from LSUOdyssey.com, LSU has reportedly put together a massive NIL package for five-star wide receiver Easton Royal. If the report is accurate, Royal could become one of the highest-valued receiver recruits in the 2027 class, but also ahead of every receiver in the 2026 cycle.

Right now, LSU commit Tristen Keys is considered the standard for wide receiver NIL deals. His reported value is between $536,000 and $1 million after signing a major Adidas partnership. LSU is reportedly willing to offer even more for Royal because the coaching staff believes he can be a star player at the college level.

Many recruiting experts think LSU is the favorite to land him. Rivals insider Steve Wiltfong recently said LSU is the team “best positioned to ultimately get this done.” 247Sports analyst Tom Loy also believes Royal will eventually end up with the Tigers. “It’s not going to be easy, but whether everybody’s wrong or not, every single person I talked to around Easton Royal says he’s going to eventually flip to LSU,” Loy said.

Loy was even more direct when talking about Royal’s future. “It’s just that simple. It’s where he wants to be. And it’s home. He’s going to be a Tiger. Lane Kiffin is going to get it done,” he said. Knowing the Longhorns will get the final visit with Royal, this would give them one more chance to change his mind. Texas could also match or beat LSU’s NIL offer, so the recruiting battle may not be over just yet.