Florida has been making a ton of waves in recruiting for Jon Sumrall’s inaugural class. The Gators are threatening to piece together a top-five class with a string of solid top 150 overall recruits, headlined so far by offensive lineman Maxwell Hiller.
But if Florida really wants to send some shockwaves through the recruiting world, there is one wide receiver out there they have been working hard to flip. And this weekend that reciever reminded everyone why coaches are going to keep calling as long as he keeps picking up the phone.
Easton Royal reminds everyone how fast he is
When we first reviewed five-star wide receiver Easton Royal’s film from his 2025 season, we noted just how easy his speed looked on film. We said back in January that:
“When one watches the film, it is easy to see why the Gators are working hard to flip Royal. 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.”
That effortless speed was on full display this weekend at the LHSAA state championships in track and field, where Royal won the 5A title in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.17 seconds.
Keeping in mind that he is just a junior in high school, 10.17 seconds would have tied for 11th in the 2025 NCAA national championships, and would have missed out on being an at-large time to make the semifinals of the 2024 Olympics by one-hundredth of a second.
In other words, Royal could show up on Florida’s track team, and no one would blink an eye.
Royal has been committed to Texas since November, but the Gators have made a hard push to try to flip him. Texas insiders don’t seem to think Florida is a real threat to pull off the flip, and most of the talk has been around LSU pulling off the flip, but the Gators keep lingering around in the shadows and have had Royal on campus a couple of times since Sumrall came to town. Florida also has an official visit lined up in June.
We’ll see if the Gators make any real headway or if Royal is just a pipe dream. But with the type of speed he has, Sumrall is not going to stop trying.
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