Utah State QB/WR Duo Named To East-West Shrine Bowl Watch List

Joe Londergan | Jul 27, 2024

Sep 30, 2023; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Utah State Aggies wide receiver Jalen Royals (1) runs the ball for a touchdown against the UConn Huskies in the second half at Rentschler Field at Pratt & Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

One of the Mountain West's more intriguing quarterback/wide receiver combinations has received more recognition ahead of the 2024 season.

Each year, the East-West Shrine Bowl provides college football players the opportunity to practice and participate in an all-star game in front of NFL scouts and coaches. Prior to the season, the Shrine Bowl releases a list of 1000 draft eligible players who are good candidates for the game itself. That 2024 list was released this week, including Utah State QB Spencer Petras and wide receiver Jalen Royals.

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Petras joined the Aggies this offseason after five seasons at Iowa where he played in 37 games and threw for 5199 yards. He was named Utah State's starter this spring. Royals, a senior, was recently named to the All-Mountain West preseason team and made the league's all-conference team at the end of last season. Royals caught 71 passes for 1080 yards and 15 touchdown catches, a program record, in 2023.

Utah State enter the 2024 season under the direction of interim head coach Nate Dreiling, after Blake Anderson was fired from his post as the program's leader for Title IX compliance violations earlier this month. The Aggies begin their new campaign on August 31 when they host FCS Robert Morris.

The East-West Shrine Bowl will take place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX on January 30, 2025.