2026 American Preseason Previews: Temple Owls

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2025 record: 5-7 (3-5 American)

2025 postseason: did not qualify

Temple was a fixture in Bowl Season throughout the 2010s, and as a result, they became a hotbed for coaching hires. Al Golden departed Temple for Miami (FL), Steve Addazio for Boston College, Matt Rhule for Baylor, and Geoff Collins for Georgia Tech.

But times have changed in Philadelphia, and the Owls haven’t qualified for bowl eligibility since 2019. After four-straight 3-9 seasons, Temple finally showed tangible signs of progress in 2025. Under first-year head coach K.C. Keeler, the Owls raced to a 5-3 start, positioned on the verge of bowl eligibility. However, the schedule amplified in difficulty in November, and Temple dropped four straight to East Carolina, Army, Tulane, and North Texas.

After a bitter finish to a promising start, the Owls have now finished six-straight seasons without a bowl appearance. But Keeler has affirmed his commitment to building Temple back into a winner, and he’ll enter year two armed with nine returning starters. With this positive momentum, can the bird take flight again in 2026?

Staff

K.C. Keeler prepares for year two in Philadelphia, and the 66-year old head coach has shown impressive commitment to his programs throughout his career. He coached Division III Rowan University for nine years, Delaware for 11, and Sam Houston for 11 before taking on the challenge of rebuilding Temple — which he claimed will be his last job during his signing day press conference.

Keeler doesn’t take long to build his programs. By year two at Delaware, he won an FCS national championship. By year two at Sam Houston, he already built an 11-win program ranked in the FCS top-5. Immediate progress was already shown at Temple, but there is still a long way to go toward contender status.

Good news for Temple — there’s outstanding continuity on the coaching staff. Coordinators Tyler Walker (offensive), Brian Smith (defensive), and Brian Ginn (special teams) all return for year two on staff. Keeler also promoted passing game coordinator/cornerbacks coach Henry Baker to assistant head coach this offseason. No other major staff changes were made. Every single lead position coach from 2025 remains in a similar role for 2026, and that stability coincides with the return of seven offensive and two defensive starters.

Offense

• Key arrivals: QB Jaxon Smolik, QB Ajani Sheppard, RB Sam Brown V, WR Jayce Freeman, WR Demonte Greene, C John Stone
• Key departures: QB Evan Simon, RB Jay Ducker, RB Terrez Worthy, RB Joquez Smith, WR Kajiya Hollawayne, OT Diego Barajas
• Key incumbents: RB Hunter Smith, RB Keveun Mason, WR JoJo Bermudez, WR Colin Chase, TE Peter Clarke, TE Ryder Kusch, C Grayson Mains, G Eric King, G Jackson Pruitt, OT Giakoby Hills, OT Kevin Terry, OT Luke Watson

Temple’s offense was not exactly explosive in 2025, nor did it rank among the nation’s elite on the ground or through the air. But the Owls had one specialty they did extraordinarily well which made them infinitely a better football team. Temple refrained from committing turnovers. The Owls only coughed the ball up four times all year, with their first giveaway transpiring in their sixth game on Oct. 11. They never committed multiple turnovers in a game and finished +11 in turnover margin.

They also excelled on fourth downs, finishing fifth nationally with a 73.7 conversion percentage. One other area of expertise was red zone situations, as Temple ranked 18th in the FBS in touchdowns-to-red zone appearances ratio. Good news for the Owls is nine offensive starters from that unit are back in 2026. However, one position that must be replaced is the most important one.

Evan Simon served the Owls well last year with 25 passing touchdowns to two interceptions. He graduated and Temple must find a worthy successor at quarterback. Entering fall camp, it’s a 3-man competition between transfers Jaxon Smolik and Ajani Sheppard and incumbent backup Camren Boykin. Collectively, the room has minimal in-game experience. Smolik never threw a pass at Penn State but rushed four times for three yards and took several victory formation snaps. Sheppard only threw two passes at Rutgers but totaled 34 rushing yards on four attempts — serving as the most dynamic rushing option at quarterback. Finally, Boykin prepares for his second year as an Owl but did not field a snap in 2025.

The running back room is headlined by Hunter Smith who thrived as a second option with 403 rushing yards on a team-best 6.5 average in 2025 — setting a season-high 92 yards in an overtime win over Tulsa. Smith likely rises into the No. 1 option after the graduation of Jay Ducker. Sliding into a secondary role is Keveun Mason who attained 167 yards on a 6.0 average last year. Also lending a hand to the run game is Sam Brown V who accumulated 829 rushing yards and eight touchdowns across four seasons at Rutgers.

Temple’s strongest position group entering 2026 is its receiving corps which retains starters JoJo Bermudez and Colin Chase, as well as Second Team All-American Conference tight end Peter Clarke. Bermudez posted a team-high 500 receiving yards last season, while Clarke attained 483 (19th among FBS tight ends) and Chase added 414 on a team-high 40 receptions. The three combined for 14 of Temple’s 28 receiving touchdowns, providing a reliable foundation for the new starting quarterback to work with. The room loses a key piece in Kajiya Hollawayne, but small school portal additions Jayce Freeman (FCS Stony Brook) and Demonte Greene (Division II Midwestern State) add depth to the corps.

The Owls return 80 percent of their starting offensive line with right tackle Diego Barajas as the only loss. Center Grayson Mains, guards Eric King and Jackson Pruitt, and left tackle Giakoby Hills are all running it back for another year under K.C. Keeler. Figuring out the right tackle spot is a priority this offseason and the candidates include Kevin Terry and Luke Watson. Both Terry and Watson earned starts at tackle in previous seasons but have been limited since due to injury.

Seven starters returning is a huge plus, especially from a unit which took exceptional care of the ball. But figuring out quarterback is essential to keeping Temple’s turnover total low in 2026, and that position’s performance might dictate if the Owls can snap their bowl drought or return to the postseason.

Defense

• Key arrivals: DE Quante Gillians, DE Davier Bishop, DT Kaleb Artis, OLB Jaylon Joseph, OLB JaMair Diaz, FS Saboor Karriem, SS Kolin Dinkins, SS Jaeden Gould
• Key departures: DE Khalil Poteat, DE Sekou Kromah, DT Demerick Morris, DT Allan Haye, ILB Katin Suprenant, OLB Cam’Ron Stewart, OLB Ty Davis, CB Jaylen Castleberry, CB Ben Osueke, FS Jamere Jones, FS Javier Morton, FS Dontae Pollard
• Key incumbents: ILB Eric Stuart, ILB Jayvant Brown, OLB Curly Ordonez, OLB Tyree Alualu, CB Adrian Laing, FS Pooh Lawton, SS Avery Powell

Temple does not enjoy the same continuity on defense. The Owls lose both of their all-conference selections in outside linebacker Cam’Ron Stewart and cornerback Ben Osueke, and they only return two primary starters from 2025 — outside linebacker Curly Ordonez and strong safety Avery Powell.

Ordonez started all 12 contests at weakside linebacker and warranted a nod as an All-American Conference honorable mention. He led the Owls with 70 tackles (16 more than anybody else on the roster) and ranked second on the unit with 8.0 tackles for loss. Additionally, Ordonez thrived in coverage, and he was credited with three pass breakups.

Powell finished second in tackles behind Ordonez with 54. The strong safety played a significant hand in the turnover game, recovering three fumbles and picking off a pass in the red zone to seal a win over UTSA. The former FCS Freshman All-American should thrive as one of the top safeties in the American this year, but he’ll be surrounded by new pieces in the secondary.

Incumbent defensive backs looking to carve out starting roles include cornerbacks Denzel Chavis and Adrian Laing and safeties Pooh Lawton and Zyil Powell (no relation to Avery). Laing made waves last year with two interceptions (including one pick-six) and a fumble recovery, while Powell logged 23 tackles and an interception. Newcomers filling out the room include safeties Saboor Karriem (Illinois), Kolin Dinkins (Penn State), and Jaeden Gould (UCF). Collectively, this trio of transfers combined for 34 tackles in 2025 and will compete for immediate roles in the secondary rotation.

Temple may start a majority of incumbents, but there is still notable transfer influence within the defensive front. FCS standout Jaylon Joseph (7.5 sacks and three forced fumbles last season at Lafayette) is a premier candidate to replace Stewart as the lead edge rusher. Meanwhile, the defensive line adds Quante Gillians (Syracuse) and Kaleb Artis (Penn State), as well as small school standouts Davier Bishop (East Mississippi Community College), Kevin Hornbeak (Division II Tiffin), in effort to strengthen a pass rush which ranked bottom 20 in sacks a year ago.

Returning talent in the front includes defensive tackles Russell Sykes IV and Joseph Auzenne. Both saw substantial playing time as reserves in 2025, combining their efforts for 27 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss. Linebacker also totes experience in the form of Eric Stuart. Stuart logged five starts at middle linebacker last fall, contributing 44 tackles to rank fourth on the unit — meaning Temple returns three of its top four tacklers. Tyree Alualu (21 tackles) and Jayvant Brown (18 tackles) were among other rotation linebackers that made an impact in 2025 and should see expanded duties in 2026.

Although nine primary starters are gone, Temple still operates with a workable amount of returning experience. Fall camp should feature a slew of position battles between returning reserves and incoming transfers as second-year coordinator Brian Smith eyes an improved defense.

Special Teams

• Key arrivals: LS Sam Wolfenden
• Key departures: KR Tyler Stewart
• Key incumbents: K Carl Hardin, P Dante Atton, KR/PR JoJo Bermudez, KR Hunter Smith

Temple doesn’t have to worry about resetting the special teams. The Owls can comfortably run it back with their pieces from 2025.

Carl Hardin is back on campus for his sophomore season after sinking 11-of-14 field goals as a freshman. He connected on a long of 52 in the fourth quarter of the Owls’ overtime victory over Tulsa and looks for further progression in his second year as Temple’s kicker.

Dante Atton remains the punter for the fourth consecutive year. Atton also wears a single-digit number, which is one of the highest honors at Temple. The longtime Owl has improved his punting average each season in Philadelphia, reaching a career-high of 42.2 last season. In 2024, Atton had the second-most punts in the entire FBS, but Temple hopes its continued offensive improvement limits the senior’s reps this fall.

Tyler Stewart handled the most kick returns on the roster last year, but he transferred out of the program. That leaves JoJo Bermudez and Hunter Smith as the primary return specialists on the Owls’ roster. Smith returned five kickoffs while Bermudez returned four, giving Temple multiple names to work with in that facet. Bermudez, a second team all-conference return specialist, led the team with 10 punt returns, cashing them in for a productive 150 yards.

Schedule and outlook

* denotes non-conference game

Temple was excruciatingly close to bowl eligibility last season after a hot 5-3 start. And that could have easily been a 6-2 start had Navy fullback Alex Tecza not made an impressive diving grab for a game-winning 2-point conversion on Oct. 11. That wasn’t the Owls’ only 1-point loss to a service academy. In the midst of the 4-game losing streak in November, Temple fell 14-13 to Army, so the opportunities at its first bowl eligible season were certainly available.

Now the Owls must find a way to transform those close losses into victories. Temple opens the season with consecutive games at Lincoln Financial Field, although the contrast between opponents could not be much greater. One week after warming up vs. FCS Rhode Island in Week 1, Temple hosts Penn State in the first matchup between the in-state opponents since 2016 — and the first one in Philly since the Owls’ 27-10 signature win in 2015. The other non-conference opponents are Toledo and UConn, who attained eight and nine wins, respectively, in 2025. Those may not be easy outs for the Owls, but both the Rockets and Huskies are phasing in new coaching staffs this year.

American Conference play kicks off in unconventional format with a Friday afternoon 4 p.m. ET kickoff vs. Army at The Linc. Eight days later, the Owls face another challenging conference matchup, traveling down to Tampa to face a South Florida team that brought in the American’s top transfer class. There are more winnable games sprinkled throughout Temple’s late October and November slate. The Owls face three teams that generated losing records last season including Charlotte, UAB, and Rice — and all three of these matchups transpire in Philadelphia. That means the road conference games are a bit tougher as late-season trips to East Carolina, Navy, and Memphis loom.

After K.C. Keeler brought Temple to the brink of bowl eligibility in year one, the Owls enter 2026 with their highest expectations of the 2020s decade. Armed with coaching continuity and one of the more experienced offenses in the American, Temple has its sights set on its first postseason berth since 2019 — a tangible metric which would qualify as a successful season in the City of Brotherly Love.

2026 American Conference preseason previews:

Army, Charlotte, East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Memphis, Navy, North Texas, Rice, South Florida, Temple

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