Joe Royer is returning to his home city.
After entering the transfer portal in early December, the former Ohio State tight end has selected Cincinnati as his next collegiate destination.
Home pic.twitter.com/ljp734Jnfs
— Joe Royer (@JoeRoyer25) January 8, 2024
A native of the Queen City, Royer played high school football for Elder. He signed with the Buckeyes as a three-star prospect in the class of 2020.
In the past two seasons, Royer was expected to find a role behind Cade Stover in Ohio State's tight end room, but those plans never materialized. In 2022, Royer received 35 snaps – 28 of which came after Stover exited the Buckeyes' College Football Playoff semifinals matchup with Georgia. Royer recorded 44 snaps in 2023. Thirty-seven of those reps came in the Buckeyes' first two games.
Much of Royer's lack of playing time has been beyond his control, however. The death of his mother in 2022 saw him take some time away from the team and took an emotional toll on him. He also missed time with injuries in both 2022 and 2023.
Royer finished his Ohio State career with four catches for 24 yards. He will arrive at Cincinnati with two years of eligibility remaining.
Royer becomes the third member of Ohio State’s 2023 football team to transfer to Cincinnati over the past month, joining running back Evan Pryor and safety Kye Stokes.
