Utah State Loses All-Mountain West Receiver To NFL Draft
Dec 10, 2024, 2:40 PM
USU wideout Jalen Royals makes his first touchdown grab as an Aggie against the Idaho State Bengals on Saturday, September 9 at Maverik Stadium in Logan, UT.
LOGAN, Utah – Senior wide receiver Jalen Royals is set to take the next step in his football career after announcing his intention to enter the 2025 NFL Draft.
Royals announced he is entering his name into the draft on Monday, December 9.
“It has been a lifelong dream to play in the NFL,” Royals began his statement on social media. Starting from youth ball to where I am now has been a blessing. I would like to first thank God for all he has done for me, and nothing would be possible without him.”
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— Jalen Royals (@RoyalsJalen) December 9, 2024
After thanking his family for his success, Royals thanked Utah State’s football program.
“I express sincere appreciation to my coaches for the instrumental role in my development as a player and to Utah State for the opportunity to contribute to their program,” Royals wrote. “Aggie Nation, thank you for the overwhelming support. You will always have a place in my heart.”
Injury limited Royals to seven games in 2024. Despite missing nearly half of the season, he led USU with 55 catches for 834 yards and was second behind Otto Tia with six touchdowns.
About Jalen Royals
Playing his prep football at Hillgrove High School in Powder Springs, Georgia, Royals had 26 catches for 455 yards and four TDs as a senior. Listed at 6’0 and 205 pounds, his athleticism showed on the track team, where he was an all-state high jumper and placed sixth in the state championships as a senior.
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In 2021, Royals played his freshman season at Georgia Military College. He had seven catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns in 11 games, signing with Utah State following the season. Royals played in 12 games for USU in 2022 without recording a stat.
Jalen Royals has declared for the 2025 NFL Draft
If you weren’t watching Utah State ball this year, you missed out on a gem in the draft 💎
pic.twitter.com/BNNBvw8jj9— SleeperCFB (@SleeperCFB) December 9, 2024
In 2023, Royals became the 13th player to reach the 1,000-yard receiving plateau in program history. While starting all 13 games, Royals racked up 71 catches for 1,080 yards and a program-record 15 touchdowns. He led the country with seven TD receptions of 50+ yards.
Royals has appeared in 32 games with the Aggies, making 21 starts. He has career totals of 126 catches, 1,914 yards, and 21 touchdowns. He is third in program history for TD catches, 12th in receiving yards, and fifth all-time with eight 100-yard receiving games.
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here.
