DELAND — Players and photographers surrounded five-star wide receiver and 2027 Texas commit Easton Royal as he accepted a chain and signed football for being the 2026 Under Armour Next All-America Game’s most valuable player on Saturday, Jan. 3.
“I’ve been saying this since day one since I came out of the womb. I’m the best in the nation,” Royal said on the microphone at midfield.
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Royal earned the recognition after icing a 23-9 Team Roses victory over Team Pearls with a 42-yard, one-handed touchdown reception with 8:02 left in the game. It was the longest offensive play in a rainy and defensive contest at Spec Martin Stadium.
Team Roses hadn’t led until a 4-yard Peyton Houston rushing touchdown broke a 9-9 tie with 10:50 remaining in the fourth quarter. Royal scored a two-point conversion on a reverse to extend his team’s lead to 17-9 before his one-handed grab.
Team Pearls led 6-0 in the first quarter after a 24-yard passing touchdown from Jayce Johnson to Tyren Hornes and led 9-6 after a 46-yard field goal from Harran Zureikat with seven minutes left in the second quarter. But its offense stalled while Team Roses scored 17 straight to end the game.
Let’s take a look at some of the top performers from the 18th annual high school football all-star showcase.
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Easton Royal, Team Roses
Team Rose’s Easton Royal (3) runs down the field with the ball and scores a two-point conversion during the Under Armour All-America Game Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 at Spec Martin Stadium in DeLand.
Royal produced the highlight of the night.
He fought off Joshua Dobson, a five-star recruit and the No. 3 overall player in 247Sports’ Class of 2027 rankings, with his left hand and reeled in the 42-yard catch from Notre Dame commit Teddy Jarrard with his right.
The play likely earned Royal the MVP award, as he finished with three receptions for 46 yards, a touchdown and a two-point conversion. It was the culmination of the hard work the junior wide receiver has put in to earn an invite from Under Armour.
“Behind the scenes, every day, every night, I’m constantly putting work in,” Royal said. “Even if I’m not on the field, I’m always watching wide receivers run one-on-one reps against DBs. I’m watching TeachTapes. I’m watching all of that.”
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Outside of his personal accomplishments, Royal, a native of Slidell, Louisiana, hopes his recognition earns his home state some respect.
“I’m out here, really, to put Louisiana on the map,” he said. “That’s where I’m from. We get highly overlooked when it comes to recruiting. So that’s my whole goal, and I did that.”
Zion White, Team Roses
Team Roses’ Zion White (21) scores a touchdown during the Under Armour All-America Game Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 at Spec Martin Stadium in DeLand.
Royal may have won the MVP, but Zion White arguably had the most successful night of any wide receiver.
The four-star junior led all wideouts with five receptions, which he turned into 63 yards and a touchdown. White scored Team Roses’ first points on a 23-yard touchdown catch from Houston with 11:50 left in the second quarter.
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The Ewa Beach, Hawaii, native stands at 6-foot-3 and 170 pounds and holds offers from Arizona State, BYU, Washington, Iowa State and Utah.
Cincere Johnson, Team Pearls
Cincere Johnson led all players in tackles, and it wasn’t particularly close.
The 2026 Ohio State signee recorded nine total stops and a tackle for loss. His six solo tackles were still more than anybody else had total tackles, with three players recording five tackles on Saturday.
Johnson, a four-star recruit, is 247Sports’ No. 3 linebacker in the Class of 2026 and the No. 50 overall player in the country.
Jake Kreul, Team Roses
Kreul leaves for Oklahoma in 12 days to join the Sooners as an early enrollee, but he collected a game-high two sacks for the road.
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It was Kreul’s second appearance in the All-America Game after playing in it a year ago. But despite tying all players for the sack lead, it still wasn’t up to par with his standards.
“I’m also kind of pissed off with myself,” Kreul said. “I left a few on the table. If you go back and look at it, there’s still things I need to improve on. I’m not satisfied. I was excited to get to compete and come out here and try to prove who I am, but this is nothing. I got to get ready for the next level.”
Kreul is the No. 72 overall recruit in the Class of 2026 and the No. 9 edge rusher according to 247Sports.
Peyton Houston, Team Roses
Team Rose’s Peyton Houston (9) looks for an open player down the field during the Under Armour All-America Game Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 at Spec Martin Stadium in DeLand.
Houston was the only player responsible for multiple touchdowns.
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Houston passed for his first score of the afternoon on a 23-yard strike to White early in the second quarter before scoring the go-ahead touchdown on a 4-yard rush with 10:50 remaining in the game.
The 2027 four-star LSU commit finished 11-for-16 for 91 yards and two total touchdowns without a turnover.
Tariq Boney, Team Pearls
Boney had a case for the game’s best all-around defensive performance.
The three-star senior led all players with three tackles for loss and tied Kreul with two sacks. Behind Johnson’s nine tackles, Boney’s five tackles tied for the second most of any player that took the field.
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Boney stands at 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds, but he’s ranked as the No. 774 overall recruit by 247Sports. He signed with Michigan on Dec. 3.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Under Armour All-America Game standouts include MVP Easton Royal
