As rumors continue to circulate, and the young prospect does nothing to slow them down, fears of five-star wide receiver Easton Royal flipping his commitment from the Texas Longhorns continue to grow.
While Royal hasn't given any straightforward indication that he'll back out of his commitment to the Horns, it may be time for Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian to come up with a backup plan, or two.
There are dozens and dozens of talented wideouts in the class of 2027, and while Royal is one of the highest-rated receiver prospects, there are quite a few that could come as extremely qualified replacements for him in Texas's recruiting class.
Four-star wide receiver Julian Caldwell is already someone that the Horns have been recruiting particularly heavily, and it has paid off so far.
Most recruiting experts are leaning toward Caldwell, a Texas native, committing to the Texas Tech Red Raiders, with the Longhorns following close behind. If Royal's talent was off the roster, it would leave the perfect space (and NIL cash) for Caldwell to step into.
While Sarkisian's current goal is to have both athletes on his roster, landing Caldwell might become a bigger priority if Royal flips.
Osani Gayles is one of the bigger reaches for Texas. A California native, Gayles is reportedly split between the Alabama Crimson Tide and his home-state team, the Stanford Cardinal.
However, he is graded as the No. 9 wideout in the class of 2027, earning a four-star rating and 94.4 overall grade. At just 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, he's slightly undersized for a collegiate receiver, but his speed reportedly makes up for it.
Despite being a top-10 receiver, the Horns have yet to offer him, but could jump into the game a little behind the ball and play a quick game of catch-up if Royal heads in another direction.
Sabb is the second-highest-rated wide receiver remaining in the class of 2027 who has yet to commit to a program, and is one of the few five-star prospects still uncommitted.
He would be the most physically (both in size and on the stat sheet) comparable player to replace Royal on Texas's roster if he flipped his commitment to another program. At 6-foot-0 and 195 pounds, he has one inch on Royal, but is also five pounds lighter than the Horns' current commit.
According to On3 and Rivals, Royal has a 97.33 overall rating, and Sabb has a rating of 96.00, less than two points lower than Royal.
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