Is another Tristen Keys-type flip on the way for the Vols?
Things appear to be looking that way, as Tennessee and Josh Heupel brought in 5-star wide receiver Easton Royal for a visit. Royal, one of the top playmakers in the country, is currently a Texas commit, but that isn't stopping Heupel and Co. from trying to work their magic.
Tennessee, Josh Heupel hold off SEC rivals for new Tennessee commit
In an interview with reporter Matt Ray, Royal didn't hold back with his thoughts on Knoxville, even making it clear that Tennessee is going to be a program to keep an eye out for him moving forward. Time for Sark and the Longhorns to worry?
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Texas WR commit @easton_3k was on Rocky Top for a multi-day visit and says Tennessee “blew it out of the water”. He goes in depth with @Volquest_On3 on why “Tennessee is a school to look out for” in his recruitment ⬇️⬇️ https://t.co/ah161t1LhZ
— Matt Ray (@matt_ray_) March 28, 2026
Tennessee and Josh Heupel working some magic to flip 5-star WR Easton Royal
Those are some telling comments from Royal and it's got to make the Tennessee faithful feel pretty dang good about the team's chances of pulling things off. Keep in mind too that UT is going all-in on Royal after landing Kesean Bowman.
A former Oregon commit, the Tennessee product opened up his recruitment and the Vols have been making him a top priority for months. Those recruiting efforts paid off in the best way possible, with Bowman shutting down his recruitment and giving the SEC side the news they were hoping for.
Bowman announced his pledge to Tennessee over fellow finalists Miami, Alabama, Ohio State and Vanderbilt. Bowman used to be a 5-star prospect too, but his ranking dipped a little bit. Despite that, he's still a high four-star playmaker and the No. 7 wideout in the country per the 247Sports Composite.
Can you imagine him and Royal making plays together for Faizon Brandon down the road? Royal is the No. 2 WR in the land, which only adds to the excitement of Tennessee and Heupel potentially recording a haymaker on Sark. Heupel was able to do so on LSU last year by flipping Keys, which is something still being celebrated on campus.
For now, Royal has said that he's still fully committed to the Longhorns and that he'll one day be making the move to Austin. However, Tennessee was able to turn his head during an unofficial visit, which could make an impact on his process in the future. Sark may end up sweating over this, as Heupel is pushing hard here.