The LSU Tigers are in pursuit of five-star WR Easton Royal, a potential game-changer. Can Kiffin pry the Louisiana talent from Texas?
The LSU Tigers are clearly making a hard push for a current Texas Longhorns commit, and it would be a massive statement if he can pull off the flip.
This past weekend, top 2027 wide receiver Easton Royal made his visit to Baton Rouge, sharing a couple of posts with Lane Kiffin's calling card #justdifferent and "DA BOOT."
No player is guaranteed to be on a roster until pen is put to paper on signing day, and Kiffin has been proven to not give up on players that he wants, like his aggressive pursuit of Sam Leavitt this past offseason. The Tigers have some momentum behind them with Royal, which would be a huge win on Kiffin for a couple of levels.
Royal is a five-star and the No. 8 overall player in America on the 247Sports composite rankings. He's the No. 2 wide receiver in the country and the top overall player in Louisiana.
LSU is already out on another top player from the state as quarterback Elijah Haven committed to the Alabama Crimson Tide just a few days ago. Securing local talent is crucial to winning in Louisiana. It was not a particular strength of the Brian Kelly staff and then Kiffin moved on from one of the only valuable recruiters in Frank Wilson, which had people questioning how good his team would be at getting in-state talent.
Getting a five-star talent to flip from the Longhorns is a tall task and would certainly further prove that this staff is committed to doing everything it can to compete with the other top programs and get back to the playoffs. They have a huge payroll for this season thanks to the transfer portal, but developing top talent from Louisiana is more important.
Royal is a 5-foot-11, 200-pound receiver who would probably play a role right away as a freshman. He is someone who can be used all over the offense and dominate from different spots on the field. He can be a power slot, go out wide or even slip into the backfield. That type of versatility would be dangerous in the creative football minds of Kiffin and Charlie Weis Jr.
They will also need to continue adding talent to this rebuilding wide receiver room. They replaced all but one player this season, with a couple of talent freshmen as well. Royal would be an early cornerstone piece for the program.