Joe Royer Lifts Curtain On NFL Hopes, Staying Multiple Years At Cincinnati

The bruising tight end has played stellar ball in the first half of the season.

Cincinnati Bearcats tight end Joe Royer (11) leaps over Towson Tigers defensive back Zakaa Brown (32) in the first quarter of the College Football game at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. / Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

CINCINNATI — Joe Royer has played like a legit NFL prospect through the first half of the Bearcats' 2024 season, but all his focus is on the home stretch of this campaign.

He gave his thoughts on going to the league across the latest Let's Reign Podcast with Dan Hoard.

"I just remember growing up, when I first kind of got into football, I always wanted to play in the NFL," Royer said on the show. "And just kind of as my career progressed through middle school, grade school, then high school, then college, it still remained my goal. So just trying to put good stuff out on film every Saturday to show the scouts that I could maybe be a guy that they'd want to take and play for them on Sundays."

The 6-5, 255-pound talent just paced the Bearcats in catches and yards against UCF. He has tallied 28 grabs (seventh nationally among tight ends) for 347 yards and 2 touchdowns this season.

Getting two seasons of this production in Clifton would be great, but Royer is also plenty old enough to start his NFL journey. It's a matter of if, not when he'll start popping up on 2025 big boards at this rate.

"See where I'm at at the end of the year," Royer said about the decision. "I'm not trying to think about it too much. Just take it week by week. But if I don't really like where I'm standing at the end of this year, I definitely would not be opposed to coming back for sure."

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