Five-Star Recruit Easton Royal Flips Commitment to Florida After Texas' Red River Rivalry Loss

Texas has lost five-star wide receiver Easton Royal, a key member of its 2027 recruiting class, to SEC rival Florida. The commitment flip occurred less than 24 hours after the Longhorns suffered a dramatic 27-24 loss to Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry, decided by a last-second field goal.

Royal, considered the top wide receiver and the No. 8 overall prospect in the ESPN 300 for his class, announced his decision to commit to Florida on social media. His NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deal with the Gators is reported to be worth over $1.6 million, according to On3, a significant financial package assembled to secure his commitment.

Royal had reportedly been considering multiple SEC programs, including LSU and Ole Miss, but has now officially shut down his recruitment process, canceling planned visits to Texas and LSU.

His decision follows a visit to Florida on Saturday, where he witnessed the Gators' 38-19 loss to South Carolina, coinciding with Texas' own unexpected defeat to Oklahoma. Royal has expressed admiration for Florida head coach Jon Sumrall, whom he has known since Sumrall was the head coach at Tulane.

"I know [Sumrall] is a winner," Royal told ESPN earlier in the summer. "He won at Tulane and took them to the College Football Playoff. I know what he's all about. He's the type of coach I want to play for."

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian acknowledged the "anger and frustration" within the locker room following the loss to Oklahoma. "If you expose yourself to these errors, good teams in this conference will take advantage of it. And you'll get beat," Sarkisian stated. However, he also noted the team's competitive spirit as a source of confidence moving forward.

The Longhorns are scheduled to face Florida the following Saturday at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, a game that now carries added significance in the wake of both the rivalry loss and the loss of a top recruit.