The Tennessee Vols made the big 5-star recruiting move that fans on Rocky Top were hoping for
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It was a big recruiting weekend for the Tennessee Vols.
The biggest news of the weekend was 2027 four-star wide receiver Kesean Bowman's decision to commit to Tennessee.
Bowman, 6-foot/176 pounds from Brentwood, TN, is rated in 247Sports' composite rankings as the No. 7 wide receiver in the nation and the No. 41 overall player in the 2027 recruiting class.
Landing Bowman, however, wasn't the only big development for the Vols this past weekend.
Tennessee makes a big move with key 5-star flip target
The Vols also hosted five-star wide receiver Easton Royal on an important visit over the weekend.
Royal, a New Orleans native who is rated as the No. 2 wide receiver in the nation, has been committed to the Texas Longhorns since November.
But the Vols are doing all they can to flip the talented wide receiver.
According to On3's Steve Wiltfong, Royal's visit to Tennessee this past weekend was a big success for the Vols.
"There is confidence around Knoxville they can ultimately flip Royal who is also considering LSU and Florida," wrote Wiltfong following Royal's visit to Tennessee. "He’ll be back at Tennessee this summer for an official visit."
Royal told On3 that his visit to Tennessee was better than he expected.
He also pointed out that he has no concerns about wide receivers in the Vols' offense.
"Probably the biggest thing I could take away from this weekend is that a lot of schools and analysts say that Tennessee runs a not NFL type of offense, but that is not the case," said Royal to On3. "He (Vols WRs coach Kelsey Pope) made that an emphasis, and I did not have to ask him. He brought it up in a presentation of Tennessee with running schemes, then showing how the NFL teams are running in live action. They run every route at Tennessee. They run digs, outs, go balls, curls, everything you can think of."
Royal is an elite player — Texas is going to do what they can to keep Royal committed. And LSU is going to do all they can to keep Royal from leaving the state. This is going to be an intense recruiting battle down the stretch.
But the Vols have had a lot of success with top wide receiver recruits in recent years, so it certainly wouldn't be surprising if Tennessee manages to come out on top in this battle.
Official visits later this summer will be key for every program involved with Royal.
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This story was originally published by A to Z Sports on Mar 30, 2026, where it first appeared in the Nashville section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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