CINCINNATI — Elder High School football coach Doug Ramsey sat down in March and watched some of the Panthers' game footage from the 2019 season. It was a a year in which Elder was a Division I state runner-up.
Those highlights were another reminder of tight end Joe Royer’s ability as the 2020 Elder graduate prepares for the NFL Draft later this month. While speculation is everywhere leading into the draft, a projection has Royer being selected in the fourth round.
“He dominated every game,” Ramsey of Royer’s 2019 season. “I don’t care who it was. He dominated a game. And I think he’s got that ability just because of the gifts that he’s been given. But, he’s also a hard worker. He’s made himself much stronger. You see him now – he’s a big guy. I think he’s got all of the things you need to be a good NFL tight end.”
Royer played two seasons at the University of Cincinnati after he spent three years at Ohio State.
"I come from a wide receiver background, so I feel like I play well out in space running and catching the ball and out on the perimeter," Royer told the media at the NFL Draft Combine in late February, according to Bearcat Journal. "I feel like I am more of a fluid H-back tight end, if you will. But, I did a lot of inline stuff this year as well."
In 2025, Royer started all 13 games for the Bearcats. He ranked third on the team with 29 receptions and four touchdowns. He was fourth with 416 yards. In 2024, Royer had 50 receptions for 521 yards and three touchdowns en route to All-Big 12 Conference first team honors.
“Joe is a different tight end than I think a lot of guys,” Ramsey said. “Half the tight ends – they can run routes and catch. And half the tight ends can block. But he’s a guy that can do both. I think that’s what makes him special.”
Royer was a consensus four-star prospect in the 2020 class. He caught 70 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns at Elder. He later signed with Ohio State and appeared in 14 games from 2021 to 2023.
Ramsey said Royer preserved throughout his career and is ready for the next step in his football journey.
“He’s a great kid,” Ramsey said. “He’s even more mature now than ever before. All the things that he's gone through because it’s a different path than a lot of guys. He wants to do this very badly. He’ll give everything he’s got for sure.”
