He Taught Himself Routes on YouTube—Now Mahomes Calls Him a Hidden Gem

Jalen Royals didn’t grow up surrounded by five-star camps or private trainers. What he had was a smartphone, an unstable internet connection, and a relentless hunger to learn.

While others paid thousands for elite coaching, Royals was breaking down slow-mo footage of Odell Beckham Jr. and Tyreek Hill in the back seat of a borrowed car. His drills? Done in parking lots. His cones? Old water bottles. His coach? YouTube.

“I didn’t have a route coach,” he said. “I had Wi-Fi.”

That self-taught obsession eventually paid off when he exploded for over 1,200 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns at Utah State. But despite those numbers, scouts labeled him “raw” and “too small.” He slid to pick No. 131 in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Then Patrick Mahomes called.

“He’s a hidden gem,” Mahomes said to reporters. “The kid separates like he’s been doing this at the highest level for years.”

Royals couldn’t believe it. “To hear that from the best in the world? That made it all worth it,” he said.

Now, Royals is running with the first team, lining up beside NFL veterans, and earning reps in one of the most complex and dynamic offenses in the league. But he hasn’t forgotten his roots.

“I still watch film on YouTube,” he laughs. “Just better internet now.”

Jalen Royals is proof that talent isn’t always found in elite training programs or high school rankings. Sometimes, it’s grown in the silence—built in parking lots, fueled by rewind buttons, and recognized by greatness when it matters most.