5-star WR Easton Royal reaffirms Texas pledge, but leaves door open

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

Even though five-star wide receiver Easton Royal has been committed to Texas Football since November, questions have surrounded how earnest that pledge is. At times, it has felt like UT is a place holder until he and his family actually complete the recruitment process. At others, he seems totally locked in.

The New Orleans native was in Austin this weekend for his official Longhorns visit and said all the right things to Longhorns nation. Mostly.

“Trying to lock down my commitment, and I think they did a really good job towards that, but you know obviously, me and my mom still got things to talk about, but they definitely set the tone the right way,” Royal told Gerry Hamilton of OnTexasFootball after his visit.

He’s locked in, but there are still things to talk about. It’s that hedging that has Longhorn fans concerned.

Meanwhile, he’s also frequently visiting SEC rivals like the Florida Gators and LSU Tigers. Royal took an official visit to Baton Rouge last month. He took an official trip to Gainesville to see Florida and Jon Sumrall last week, before another stop at LSU before his UT official visit.

“I’m not going to say what school, but something that one coach told me that stuck with me was, ‘ You don’t make the right decision, you make the decision right.’ I think that really stuck with me, and it made it harder, because I feel like I can fit in at any three of these schools,” said Royal.

Before heading to Austin, Royal his goal for the trip was “Just seeing if they’ll be able to close the deal, honestly.”

“I love all three coaches, coach Kiffin, coach Sark, and coach Sumrall. And I love all three offenses. So it’s just getting into the real nitty-gritty of things and seeing if they are able to close it down,” Royal said.

It appears Texas had a couple messages for Royal. One was he could be a two-sports athlete at Texas. Royal had a record-breaking performance at the LHSAA Outdoor Track and Field State Meet in Louisiana this year.

The other was to try to impart how his relationship with the University of Texas won’t end when his career is over.

“I’ve been here, this is probably my sixth time now. You know, we went through football. But now the thing they were trying to show me is, UT is not just a four year decision, but a fifty year decision,” he said Sunday.

Even Royal’s commitment plans throw doubt into when or if he can be locked in before national signing day. He said he could decide in a couple of weeks, or wait all the way to signing day.

“Possibly, maybe a decision in July but if not, we’ll just see how the season goes and just wait until signing day,” Royal said.

But here’s the rub. Theoretically, he’s already committed. He’s already made the decision. If he “re-commits” in July, will that made Texas fans (or coaches) feel better? Probably not. We won’t know until his letter of intent is signed.

It was great to see Easton Royal enjoying himself on the Forty Acres this weekend. But as long as he publicly keeps the door ajar, Texas fans will worry if he will actually end up in Burnt Orange and White.

This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: How earnest is 5-star Easton Royal’s Texas football commitment?

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos