Tennessee is looking to pull off another major recruiting heist at the wide receiver position. Last year, the Vols executed one of the biggest moves of the 2026 cycle by flipping LSU wide receiver commit Tristen “TK” Keys in August. Keys had been committed to the Tigers for five months, but eventually switched his pledge to the Vols and signed with Tennessee just three months later.
Josh Heupel and his staff are now trying to accomplish the same task with another five-star receiver in the 2027 class.
According to a report from Rivals’ Sam Spiegelman, Tennessee is making a push for five-star Texas wide receiver commit Easton Royal. The New Orleans native has been committed to the Longhorns since late November 2025, but looks to be still taking a handful of visits this spring.
Rivals’ Industry Rankings tags Royal as the No. 9 player in the ’27 class, the No. 2 receiver in the nation, and the top-ranked player from Louisiana. He currently plays for Brother Martin High School in New Orleans.
Tennessee got Royal on campus last weekend for a visit during spring camp. He reportedly came away impressed by his visit to Rocky Top.
“It’s the University of Tennessee and it’s like a pro team around there,” Royal told Spiegelman.
Tennessee has been recruiting the wide receiver position at a tremendous rate over the last few years, thanks to the strong work of wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope. Since the 2024 recruiting class, Tennessee has signed players such as four-star Braylon Staley, five-star Mike Matthews, four-star Travis Smith Jr., four-star Radarious Jackson, five-star TK Keys, and four-star Tyreek King.
More From RTI: Tennessee Football Can Flex an Aspect of Pro Day That Vanderbilt Can’t
Pope is a huge piece of Tennessee’s recruiting success. Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel noted that Pope and the UT staff “did a great job” with their recruitment of Keys during the 2026 class, which eventually ended with the five-star receiver in Knoxville. Pope will be a vital tool in Tennessee’s attempt to flip a five-star SEC receiver for the second straight season.
Coming off an unofficial visit to Tennessee last weekend, 247Sports’ recruiting timeline shows four upcoming official visits for Easton Royal, including a return trip to Tennessee on June 5. LSU, Florida, and Ole Miss are also pursuing him. Texas, of course, holds the verbal commitment at this point in time.
“Dynamic vertical playmaker down the field and as a run-after-catch threat in the screen and short-to-intermediate game,” 247 scouting analyst Gabe Brooks wrote about Royal. “Varies speeds but consistently plays with urgency to maximize acceleration and explosion.”
Tennessee currently has six commitments in its 2027 recruiting class, led by four-star wide receiver Kesean Bowman. The other five players include four-star offensive tackle Princeton Uwaifo, three-star defensive lineman Kadin Fife, three-star safety/athlete Jaden Butler, three-star linebacker JP Peace, and three-star quarterback Derrick Baker. 247Sports lists the Vols’ class at 14th in the nation.
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more Tennessee Football recruiting news and coverage.
