Utah State star wide receiver Jalen Royals, one of the country's top players outside college football's power conferences, will miss the rest of the season, sources confirmed to ESPN on Saturday.
Sources told ESPN that Royals is dealing with a foot injury, which is expected to end his college career. Royals has emerged as a potential top-150 NFL draft prospect, as he has been one of the country's most productive receivers this year, catching 55 balls for 834 yards and six touchdowns.
Royals' foot injury isn't severe enough that it's expected to significantly affect his predraft process, as he has been on the NFL's radar all season.
Royals earned All-Mountain honors in 2023 and helped his draft stock with a flurry of high-end performances the past month, including four straight 100-plus-yard receiving games. He had at least nine catches in all those games. That included his performances against the top teams in the Mountain West -- 211 yards and two touchdowns against Boise State, and 155 yards and one touchdown against UNLV.
Royals, who hails from Powder Springs, Georgia, had an opportunity this offseason to play at numerous power conference schools. He stuck with Utah State in the wake of a 2023 season that saw him catch 15 touchdown passes, total 1,080 receiving yards and average 15.2 yards per catch.
In his three seasons at Utah State after transferring from junior college, Royals totaled 1,914 passing yards and 21 touchdowns.
Royals is a 6-foot, 205-pound receiver who had scouts attending Utah State practices and games in droves. His traits and productivity will make him a mainstream draft prospect this spring.
Utah State (1-6) plays at Wyoming (1-6) on Saturday night.
KSL.com first reported that Royals is expected to miss the rest of the season.
