Jalen Royals
{{Short description|American football player (born 2003)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Jalen Royals
| image =
| caption =
| current_team = Kansas City Chiefs
| number = 11
| position = Wide receiver
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2003|2|18}}
| birth_place = Powder Springs, Georgia, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 0
| weight_lb = 195
| high_school = Hillgrove {{nowrap|(Powder Springs, Georgia)}}
| college = Georgia Military (2021)
Utah State (2022–2024)
| draftyear = 2025
| draftround = 4
| draftpick = 133
| highlights =
- First-team All-Mountain West (2023)
- Second-team All-Mountain West (2024)
| status = Active
| pastteams =
- Kansas City Chiefs ({{NFL Year|2025}}-present)
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| pfr = RoyaJa00
}}
Jalen Royals (born February 18, 2003){{cite tweet|title=Happy Birthday @RoyalsJalen 🎂🎉 #AggiesAllTheWay|number=1759246400796127730|user=USUFootball|access-date=May 15, 2024}} is an American professional football wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Military Bulldogs and the Utah State Aggies. Royals was selected by the Chiefs in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL draft.
Early life and high school
Royals attended Hillgrove High School in Powder Springs, Georgia, where he lettered in football, basketball and track & field. As a senior, he had 26 catches for 455 yards and four touchdowns.{{cite web |last1=Wood |first1=Trent |title=Jalen Royals had 7 touchdowns in an 8-quarter window. Who is this guy? Where did he come from? |url=https://www.deseret.com/2023/10/13/23912259/utah-state-football-jalen-royals-has-seven-touchdowns-in-the-last-eight-quarters-who-is-this-guy/ |website=Deseret News |date=13 October 2023 |access-date=30 April 2024}} Royals committed to play college football at Georgia Military College.{{cite web|url=https://www.hjnews.com/sports/usu/usu-football-royals-went-from-under-recruited-project-to-aggie-star/article_3f1e6b76-6dfe-11ee-8bad-abdeb7d50a0e.html|title=USU football: Royals went from under recruited project to Aggie star|website=The Herald Journal|first=Jason|last=Turner|date=October 18, 2023|access-date=November 28, 2023}}
College career
= Georgia Military =
As a freshman in 2021, Royals recorded seven catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns in 11 games played.{{Cite web |last=Preece |first=Brian |date=April 26, 2024 |title=Way Too Early NFL Draft Preview For Utah State's Jalen Royals |url=https://kslsports.com/515653/way-too-early-nfl-draft-preview-for-utah-states-jalen-royals/ |access-date=30 April 2024 |website=KSL Sports}} After the season, Royals transferred to Utah State.{{cite web|url=https://kslsports.com/503744/aggie-notes-utah-state-wide-receivers-face-uphill-battle-in-2023/|title=Aggie Notes: Utah State Wide Receivers Face Uphill Battle In 2023|website=KSL Sports|first=Brian|last=Preece|date=August 18, 2023|access-date=November 28, 2023}}
= Utah State =
In 2022, Royals played 12 games and made his first career start against Boise State but did not record any stats during the season.{{cite web |last1=Wood |first1=Trent |title=Utah State star wide receiver Jalen Royals to return for another season |url=https://www.deseret.com/2023/12/1/23984713/utah-state-football-star-wide-receiver-jalen-royals-to-return-for-another-season/ |website=Deseret News |date=1 December 2023 |access-date=30 April 2024}} In 2023, he played all 12 games and made 68 catches for 1,023 yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging 15.0 yards per catch.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/jalen-royals-1/gamelog/2023/|title=Jalen Royals 2023 Gamelog|website=Sports Reference|access-date=November 28, 2023}} Royals was ranked second on the team in receptions.{{cite web|url=https://usustatesman.com/king-of-catches-jalen-royals-makes-history-at-usu/|title=King of catches Jalen Royals makes history at USU|website=The Utah Statesman|first=Hayden|last=Gardner|date=November 27, 2023|access-date=November 28, 2023}} His 15 touchdown receptions set a new single-season school record.{{Cite web |last=Preece |first=Brian |date=December 23, 2023 |title=Jalen Royals Sets Utah State Single-Season Touchdown Record |url=https://kslsports.com/509166/jalen-royals-sets-utah-state-single-season-touchdown-record/ |access-date=30 April 2024 |website=KSL Sports}} He was named to the Biletnikoff Award watchlist, as well as the first-team Mountain West Conference.{{cite web|url=https://www.cachevalleydaily.com/news/archive/2023/11/28/utah-state-football-has-nine-all-mountain-west-honorees-including-three-first-team-recipients/|title=Utah State football has nine All-Mountain West honorees, including three first team recipients|website=Cache Valley Dailey|first=Doug|last=Hoffman|date=November 28, 2023|access-date=November 28, 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://themw.com/news/2023/10/18/utah-states-jalen-royals-added-to-biletnikoff-award-watch-list/|title=Utah State's Jalen Royals Added to Biletnikoff Award Watch List|website=Mountain West Conference|date=October 18, 2023|access-date=November 28, 2023}} During the 2024 season, Royals caught 55 passes for 834 yards and 6 touchdowns.{{Cite web |title=Jalen Royals College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/jalen-royals-1.html |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}}
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 6
| height in = 0
| weight = 205
| dash = 4.42
| ten split = 1.49
| twenty split = 2.56
| shuttle = 4.25
| cone drill = 6.94
| vertical = 36.0
| broad ft = 10
| broad in = 1
| bench = 13
| arm span = 30 1/8
| hand span = 9 1/2
| note = All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day{{Cite web |last=Reuter |first=Chad |last2=Zierlein |first2=Lance |title=Jalen Royals Draft and Combine Prospect Profile |url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/jalen-royals/3200524f-5950-7380-77a0-3988bf7eb552 |access-date=March 1, 2025 |website=NFL.com}}{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1059546&DraftYear=2025 |title=Jalen Royals College Football Profile |website=DraftScout.com |access-date=March 1, 2025}}
}}
Royals was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs with the 133rd pick in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL draft.{{cite web |title=Kansas City Chiefs draft Utah State wide receiver |website=The Salt Lake City Tribune |url=https://www.sltrib.com/sports/utah-state-sports/2025/04/26/kansas-city-chiefs-draft-utah/ |date=April 26, 2025 |access-date=May 10, 2025}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.chiefs.com/team/players-roster/jalen-royals/ Kansas City Chiefs bio]
- [https://www.gmcbulldogs.com/sports/fball/2021-22/bios/royals_jalen_xekl Georgia Military Bulldogs bio]
- [https://utahstateaggies.com/sports/football/roster/jalen-royals/10411 Utah State Aggies bio]
{{Kansas City Chiefs 2025 NFL draft picks}}
{{Kansas City Chiefs roster navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Royals, Jalen}}
Category:Players of American football from Cobb County, Georgia
Category:Sportspeople from Powder Springs, Georgia
Category:American football wide receivers
Category:Utah State Aggies football players