Temple football held its official local media day Friday morning at Edberg-Olson Hall, where third-year head coach Stan Drayton and a handful of players spoke with the media as the season opener nears.
Among the players made available were transfer safety Andreas Keaton and transfer center Grayson Mains. Returning wide receiver John Adams and defensive lineman Allen Haye also provided updates on their injuries from last season.
The Owls enter the third year of the Drayton era with many lingering questions. However, members of the media will have to wait for those answers, as Drayton just wants to focus on the task at hand — finding a way to take down No. 16 Oklahoma on Aug. 30, he said.
“We’re really enjoying the process and embracing the process,” Drayton said. “That’s been the fun part is watching our kids take it one day at a time and we have forced them to live in the moment. Our players on a daily basis have shown the ability to do that.”
WHO WILL START AT QUARTERBACK?
Last season there was no question about who the starting quarterback would be. E.J. Warner had a stellar freshman season in 2022 and carried that success into last year. Warner entered the transfer portal in the offseason and headed to American Athletic Conference rival Rice, leaving a major hole at the quarterback position.
Three quarterbacks have competed during fall camp to see who will fill Warner’s shoes and start against Oklahoma. Forrest Brock returns after appearing in one half of one game last season, as does Tyler Douglas, who holds no collegiate game experience. Rutgers transfer Evan Simon joined the program in the offseason, creating a three-man competition for the starting job.
Drayton has kept his non-committal stance on who will be under center when his team travels to Norman, Oklahoma in 14 days.
“I think we are getting close,” Drayton said. “We do know the strengths and weaknesses of our quarterbacks right now. It’s going to be a combination of how they fit the surrounding cast around them. We will announce it when the time is right.”
DECIDING THE SINGLE DIGITS
Every year a group of players are selected to wear a single-digit jersey number, representing leadership both on and off the field. Last season there were eight single-digits appointed to players, with two honorary recipients each game. The players voted on who wore the single-digits last season, but this season the coaches will also be a factor in the voting process, Drayton said.
All of those single-digit players left during the offseason except for one; wide receiver Ian Stewart. Now, similarly to quarterback, Drayton faces a decision on who will be representing his team from a leadership standpoint and is still not ready to make a decision.
“There’s a lot of leadership traits coming out of a lot of people, and it’s going to be interesting to see how that vote comes out,” Drayton said. “I just want to do the tradition it’s just due.”
With that decision looming large, and players knowing how much it means to earn a single digit, players have looked forward to potentially earning the right to be a single-digit.
“It is hard to be at Temple and not think about it,” said tight-end James Della Pesca. “My main goal is to stack days with these guys and make sure we can improve every day.”
RETURNING TO FULL STRENGTH
Injuries dominated the headlines for the Owls last season. Nearly every position was ravaged and the Owls lacked the necessary depth to combat the injury bug.
One of the position groups that was most affected by injuries was the defensive line. Demerick Morris and Miami transfer Allen Haye were expected to wreak havoc on the interior last season. However, the pair never shared the field together, with Haye getting injured against Tulsa and Morris playing just two games at the bookend of the season.
Now they are both back healthy and ready to help improve the Owls defense. Temple’s defense changed from a 3-4 to a 4-3 this year and the duo will have the chance to make the difference they were expected to make together last season.
“I do not have any hesitation on the field in terms of my injury,” Haye said. “I just have to get back into the groove and knock off the rust.”
The wide receiver room also suffered its fair share of injuries, with Stewart missing significant time, forcing the walk-on Adams into action.
Adams immediately impressed in his limited action, but he was also bitten by the injury bug. The breakout star broke his leg in November — something that would typically spell doom for a walk-on. But Adams is back and ready for the opportunity to make a bigger impact.
“I’m not a regular walk-on,” Adams said. “I hold myself accountable every day and I believe in myself 100% and that’s how I am going to go out on the field.”
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