A former Elder High School football standout is transferring back home as the University of Cincinnati Bearcats added tight end Joe Royer out of the transfer portal from Ohio State Monday afternoon.
Royer had been limited by injury with the Buckeyes, playing in four games behind starter Cade Stover and Gee Scott Jr. Royer entered the portal on Dec. 7. He caught one pass for five yards against Minnesota Nov. 18.
A redshirt season, depth and injuries resulted in Royer playing in 14 games over three seasons with four receptions for 24 yards. In the 2022 College Football Playoff Semifinal vs. Georgia he had a reception and played 28 snaps. The death of his mother that season resulted in some missed games and he spent much of 2023 on the Buckeyes’ injury list.
Royer is 6-foot-5 and 255 pounds, some 30 pounds heavier than his days at Elder where he was a four-star prospect for coach Doug Ramsey’s Panthers.
Elder grad Joe Royer transferring to UC football from Ohio State
A former Elder High School football standout is transferring back home as the University of Cincinnati Bearcats added tight end Joe Royer out of the transfer portal from Ohio State Monday afternoon.
Royer had been limited by injury with the Buckeyes, playing in four games behind starter Cade Stover and Gee Scott Jr. Royer entered the portal on Dec. 7. He caught one pass for five yards against Minnesota Nov. 18.
Joe Royer has two seasons of eligibility
A redshirt season, depth and injuries resulted in Royer playing in 14 games over three seasons with four receptions for 24 yards. In the 2022 College Football Playoff Semifinal vs. Georgia he had a reception and played 28 snaps. The death of his mother that season resulted in some missed games and he spent much of 2023 on the Buckeyes’ injury list.
Royer is 6-foot-5 and 255 pounds, some 30 pounds heavier than his days at Elder where he was a four-star prospect for coach Doug Ramsey’s Panthers.
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A GCL-South stat stuffer
Royer led the Greater Catholic League-South in receiving yards in 2019 with 70 catches for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns playing on Elder’s Division I state runner-up team that finished 12-3. As a junior playing in 11 of Elder’s 13 games, he had 32 catches for 617 yards and five scores.
One of his Elder High School teammates is UC guard Luke Kandra, who recently graded out as the country’s top Power Five right guard according to Pro Football Focus and was named an AP Third Team All-American.