LOGAN, Utah — Utah State football senior Jalen Royals has been named to the Maxwell Award Watch List it was announced on Monday.
 
The Maxwell Award is given annually to the best player in college football. It was founded in 1937 and is named after Robert "Tiny" Maxwell, a Swarthmore College football player, coach and sportswriter. Members of the watch list were selected by the Maxwell Football Club's selection committee and will be eligible for consideration as semifinalists later in the season. Washington's Michael Penix Jr. won the award in 2023.
 
Royals, a 6-foot, 195-pound wide receiver from Powder Springs, Georgia, (Hillgrove HS/Georgia Military College), was also named a preseason Phil Steele Fourth Team All-American in addition to being named to the preseason Mountain West all-conference team by Phil Steele (first team), Athlon Sports (first team) and MW media. Royals was also named to the 2025 Shrine Bowl 1000 Watchlist alongside quarterback Spencer Petras.
 
Last season, Royals was a College Football Network (CFN) Third-Team All-American and earned first-team all-MW honors 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.
 
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