Right now, there may not be a bigger target on LSU’s board than 5-star WR Easton Royal. The New Orleans native and Texas commit just wrapped up another official visit to Baton Rouge. And judging by what happened afterward, Lane Kiffin may have done something right. Because shortly after leaving campus, the Rivals’ No. 1 WR started trimming his schedule.

According to Rivals, Sam Spiegelman reported that Easton Royal has canceled two upcoming SEC official visits. The No. 4 overall national prospect was originally scheduled to visit Tennessee on June 5, Florida on June 12, Ole Miss on June 17, and Texas on June 19. With Tennessee and Ole Miss off the board, LSU, Florida, and Texas now battle for Royal’s signature. And if this weekend’s visit proved anything, the Tigers are charging hard.

“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.”

Royal values development, and Mac’s film work clearly intrigued him. He didn’t hide how much LSU helped itself as he openly admitted the gap between LSU and Texas has nearly disappeared.

“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.”

Easton Royal may have already committed to Texas before Lane Kiffin was named the new LSU head coach, but he began courting immediately once he arrived in Baton Rouge. One of his first recruiting stops was Brother Martin High School in New Orleans to meet this very WR whom he’s still trying to flip. 

SU knew it was chasing a homegrown game-changer. Now, the Tigers have added more momentum to the effort. The arrival of Ed Orgeron has created another relationship point for Easton Royal, giving them yet another familiar voice in his recruitment.

But again, there’s also Florida. Ever since Jon Sumrall took over in Gainesville, the Gators have been selling hope. Easton Royal has repeatedly spoken highly about the energy and the environment he has created.

“It’s different,” he said of Florida. “He’s completely changed the energy. It was loud during practice. A lot of energy. You can hear Coach Sumrall anywhere in the building. He’s hyped; he wants to be there. He sat me down in his office and told me that if I came there, he guaranteed he’d be here every year I’m here.”

Then there’s Texas, of course. Steve Sarkisian and WRs coach Chris Jackson have spent months building that relationship. Every return trip to Austin has strengthened Easton Royal’s comfort level with the program. In fact, he himself admitted it. 

“Every time I think about other schools, Texas just somehow always re-solidifies my commitment.” 

Even so, the NIL piece could be the game-changer for LSU and Easton Royal. 

Lane Kiffin might win Easton Royal with a big NIL pitch 

In modern recruiting, no conversation involving a top-five prospect is complete without discussing NIL. According to a report from LSUOdyssey.com, LSU has allegedly put together an NIL package for Easton Royal that would make him the highest-paid WR prospect not only in the 2027 class but even ahead of the 2026 cycle. If accurate, that’s a massive statement.

The current benchmark comes from LSU commit Tristen Keys, whose NIL valuation has reportedly climbed into the $536K-to-$1M range following his landmark Adidas partnership. Lane Kiffin appears willing to go even bigger for Easton Royal. It’s a huge commitment, but LSU sees him as a player worth paying for.

The recruiting industry certainly seems to believe the Tigers are closing in. Rivals recruiting insider Steve Wiltfong recently said LSU is the team “best positioned to ultimately get this done.” Meanwhile, 247Sports analyst Tom Loy went even further.

“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,” he said. “It’s just that simple. It’s where he wants to be. It’s home. He’s going to be a Tiger. Lane Kiffin is going to get it done.”

Texas still gets the final official visit, while Florida will continue to impress him. And until Easton Royal publicly changes his commitment, Lane Kiffin probably won’t stop trying either.