Steve Sarkisian on High Alert After 5-Star Texas WR's SEC Rival Move

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With SEC giants circling and the recruiting pressure intensifying by the day, Steve Sarkisian may need to bring his full recruiting arsenal to keep an elite five-star wide receiver from jumping ship. Easton Royal, the wide receiver from the 2027 class, is making moves that signal to the Longhorns that his recruitment is anything but closed.

The Brother Martin prospect recently appeared in Baton Rouge for Louisiana’s state track meet. While it could just be an empty appearance without anything to do with his recruitment, it comes on the back of a public interest in the wide receiver from LSU.

Royal committed to Texas on November 29 last year, a day before Lane Kiffin was hired by LSU. Since his hiring, the Tigers’ head coach has been recruiting in-state talent using the “stay in the boot” pitch. While Kiffin has left no stone unturned, the elite wide receiver has also continued to show strong interest in LSU, further intensifying the recruiting battle.

“All day at school, all of my friends are pushing me to flip to the LSU Tigers,” Royal told Fox 8, New Orleans, last month. “You only get this process once – so I’m committed to Texas, but I’m still trying to figure out if that’s the best decision for me. The ultimate end goal is to make the best decision for my family and me.”

“Coach Lane [Kiffin] and I are building a relationship. He texts me often, just telling me to have a good week—sending me videos, motivating me, and recruiting me to be an LSU Tiger.”

And there is a reason why CFB powerhouses are after the wide receiver. He recorded 17 touchdowns and hauled in 53 catches for 1,151 yards during his junior season. Rivals ranks him as the No. 2 prospect nationally and the No. 1 player in Louisiana. Royal earned Louisiana 5A Offensive MVP honors and first-team all-state recognition. He also captured the fastest man competition at an Under Armor All-Star event with an unofficial 4.29-second 40-yard dash.

Tom Roy, a 247Sports analyst, has also chimed in with confidence that the flip to the Tigers will happen.

“Whether everybody’s wrong or not, every single person I talked to around Easton Royal says he’s gonna eventually flip to LSU,” Loy said. “It’s just where he wants to be. He’s gonna be a Tiger. Lane Kiffin’s gonna get it done. Unless everybody’s completely misreading the situation, everybody I talked to makes it seem like it’s as close to a done deal and lock that he’s gonna eventually make the flip from the Longhorns to the Tigers.”

Texas still holds hope, as Easton Royal plans to take an official visit with the program on June 19, allowing head coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff to strengthen his commitment heading into next season.

“I won’t cut relationships off, and I will take visits, but Texas is the school that feels right for me,” Royal told Rivals.

However, before the Texas visit, Royal will visit Baton Rouge from May 28 to 30.

SEC rivals intensify pursuit of Easton Royal

Steve Sarkisian does not just have LSU on his back; he is also seeing strong pushes from Ole Miss, Florida, and Tennessee.

“Florida, Tennessee, I just came back from Tennessee last night,” Royal said. “And I’ve also taken Ole Miss, all of them have been great, making my decision harder. Just continue to recruit me harder cuz schools usually back off on what you commit. But the schools that continue to push even harder, those are schools that are gonna separate themselves.”

“It was better than I expected,” Royal told On3. “This was my first time here, and in the state itself, so I was kind of expecting the country and farm-like, but it is really like a city connected with a college town, so you get the best of both… I got to meet Coach [Kelsey] Pope and all of the coaches. I had a great experience meeting them and having them treat me like a need and not a want.”

The 6-foot, 195-pound pass catcher has an itinerary ready for the rest of the year, with a plan to meet with different schools. The Ole Miss Rebels scheduled an official visit with Royal for May 1, while the Florida Gators lined up their official visit for June 11.

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