LOGAN, Utah – Utah State football players
Spencer Petras and
Jalen Royals have been named to the 2025 Shrine Bowl 1000 Watchlist it was announced on Tuesday.
About the Players
Petras, 6-foot-5, 230-pound graduate senior from San Rafael, California (Marin Catholic HS/Iowa) is in his first season with Utah State after spending six years at Iowa (2018-23) as he played in 37 career games with 31 starts, compiling a 20-11 record as the Hawkeyes starting quarterback. For his career, he has completed 468-of-825 (.567) passes for 5,199 yards with 24 touchdowns and 19 interceptions, while also rushing for 11 scores. He has 10 career 200-yard passing games and has thrown multiple touchdowns in six games, including a career-high three touchdowns twice.
Petras missed the 2023 season due to injury, but started all 12 games during the 2022 campaign, as he helped Iowa to an 8-5 record and an appearance in the Music City Bowl. For the season, he was 157-of-281 (.559) passing for 1,725 yards with five touchdowns and five interceptions.
Royals, a 6-0, 195-pound senior wide receiver from Powder Springs, Georgia, (Hillgrove HS/Georgia Military College), was a College Football Network (CFN) Third-Team All-American and earned first-team all-MW honors last season as he started all 13 games and finished the year with 71 receptions for 1,080 yards (15.2 ypr/83.1 ypg) and a school-record 15 touchdowns. In all, he had seven touchdown receptions of 50 or more yards, which led the nation. Royals is just the 13th player in school history to record 1,000 receiving yards in a single season and his 1,080 receiving yards are the 10th-most in school history, while his 71 receptions are tied for the 10th most and his 15 total touchdowns are tied for the eighth most in a single season. During the 2023 campaign, he led the team in both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns and was second in receptions. He also led the team with four 100-yard receiving games, including three-straight.
Royals finished the season first in the MW and second in the nation in receiving touchdowns with 15, was third in the MW and 24th in the nation in receiving (83.1 ypg), fifth in the MW and 38th in the nation in receptions (5.5 pg), seventh in the MW and 64th in the nation in scoring (7.2 ppg), and seventh in the MW and 88th in the nation in yards per reception (15.2).
Fall Schedule
Utah State opens the 2024 season on Saturday, Aug. 31, as it hosts Robert Morris and begins Mountain West play at Boise State on Saturday, Oct. 5.
Ticket Information
Season tickets and mini-plans for the 2024 season are on sale now. Purchase your tickets today to guarantee your seat for the return of the 'Battle of the Brothers' on Saturday, September 14th. To purchase visit utahstateaggies.com or call the ticket office at 435-797-0305.
Follow
Fans can follow the Aggie football program at twitter.com/USUFootball or on Facebook at Utah State Football, as well as on Instagram at instagram.com/USUFootball. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program at twitter.com/USUAthletics or on Facebook at Utah State University Athletics.
