Florida is trying to pull off a major recruiting heist against Texas

One of the major subplots from December and January, and one of the major first tests that Jon Sumrall had to face when he got the job at Florida, was trying to keep Jadan Baugh from going to Texas. In the end, Sumrall was able to retain Baugh and prevent him from becoming a Longhorn.

Now it’s Sumrall’s turn to hit back at Texas, and on Thursday, he once again made a push to land a prized Longhorn commit.

Easton Royal takes a spring visit to Florida 

Among the guests that Sumrall had on campus on Thursday was five-star wide receiver Easton Royal. When we first profiled Royal, it was easy to see why the Gators are pushing hard to flip him from Texas. Back in January, we said:

“His speed looks so effortless that even though he seemingly pulls away from everyone, he never actually looks like he hits his final gear. Even when opposing DBs try to give a cushion, Easton blows by them. He can take a basic screen and turn it into a touchdown, and even when there is a DB in the vicinity, he can turn into Odell Beckham and make a one-handed catch.”

Royal committed to Texas back in November, but it is clear his recruitment is far from over. LSU, Miami, and Ole Miss are among the other schools making a serious push to flip the New Orleans native. If you go off the Rivals prediction percentages, Florida still has a long way to go to leapfrog these teams, especially once NIL dollars start getting involved.

But every prospect who has visited Florida practices to this point has had nothing but positive things to say about the Gators, and if Florida emerges from this spring visit with any kind of momentum, we may spend this summer of flip watch to see if Sumrall can pull a fast one on Texas.