The 5-star WR has already been standing up for his team and teammates, even before signing with the program. Easton Royal, already committed to Texas, quickly shut down the growing speculation surrounding four-star tight end Brock Williams and his recruitment. As fans flooded social media with theories that NIL money played a role, Royal responded bluntly under a post shared by Hayes Fawcett, making it clear the narrative surrounding Williams’ decision was far from accurate.

“Go figure told y’all this like a week ago. Buddy was never going to Georgia or Ohio State, so who did that leave? Texas. Buddy wanted way too much money,” read a fan’s comment on the post. 

“If it was for money, I woulda been flipped,” Royal’s reply read.

He was apparently visiting other schools even after his commitment to Texas, hinting at a possible flip, but not anymore, as he reaffirmed his move, preventing Steve Sarkisian from a major shock. “I won’t cut relationships off, and I will take visits, but Texas is the school that feels right for me.”

It’s not the money keeping them at bay, but the efforts of coach Sark and his team to ensure the Longhorns bring their A-game.

Georgia and Ohio were pushing heavily for the recruit, and why wouldn’t they, as Williams is the biggest remaining prospect in the class of 2027. Jeff Banks had his eyes set on Williams, as he had been searching for the missing piece of his tight end room. The persuasion from the banks helped him land another big recruit for the Longhorn roster. 

As a sophomore at Libertyville, Williams broke out with a 35-catch, 608-yard, and seven-touchdown season in 2024. He followed that up with 44 catches for 596 yards and 11 scores as a junior in 2025, while also adding a kickoff return and punt return for touchdowns.

“I’ve had it in my mind where I wanted to go for the past few weeks, I’d say,” Williams said. “You can’t go wrong with Coach Sark, especially with the offense he’s putting you in. I’m going to have top-of-the-line quarterbacks, the best quarterbacks in the country. That’s huge for me as well.”

Tyler Williams, Brock’s father, also made it clear that the decision is not based on money, but on the promising roadmap laid down by the Longhorns for the Libertyville High TE.

“It’s been a wild journey,” he said. “I focused on the football side. My wife, Kelly, she’s focused on education. Divide and conquer. We’ve been on 27 trips, so we wanted to make sure we made the right decision at the right place for the right reasons. There’s full transparency at Texas. They have an incredible staff. They have a clear vision for their offense and how they would utilize his skill set.

“They have a great player coming their way athletically, but a great person on top of that. He’s a great teammate, and we’re excited for the next chapter.”

Texas managed to get another major recruiting win with Williams. But keeping the rest of its recruiting class intact may prove just as important. And even though Royal publicly shut down the NIL rumors, the Longhorns commit is still drawing serious attention from several SEC programs.

SEC rivals still on the Easton Royal trail

Despite Royal confirming his stay with the Longhorns, Sarkisian does not just have LSU Tigers football breathing down his neck; he is also battling aggressive recruiting pushes from Ole Miss Rebels football, Florida Gators football, and Tennessee Volunteers football.

“Florida, Tennessee, I just came back from Tennessee last night,” Royal said. “And I’ve also taken Ole Miss, all of them have been great, making my decision harder. Just continue to recruit me harder cuz schools usually back off on what you commit. But the schools that continue to push even harder, those are schools that are gonna separate themselves.”

“It was better than I expected,” Royal told On3. “This was my first time here, and in the state itself, so I was kind of expecting the country and farm-like, but it is really like a city connected with a college town, so you get the best of both… I got to meet Coach [Kelsey] Pope and all of the coaches. I had a great experience meeting them and having them treat me like a need and not a want.”

The 6-foot, 195-pound pass catcher has an itinerary ready for the rest of the year, with a plan to meet with different schools. The Ole Miss Rebels scheduled an official visit with Royal for May 1, while the Florida Gators lined up their official visit for June 11.