Temple Football Position Preview; Cornerback
Tagged under: News, Pennsylvania Colleges, Temple
Mike Livingston | June 8, 2026
Coming off a season where they ranked third in the American Conference in passing defense, Temple is looking to regroup and replenish its cornerback group in a hurry.
The Owls notably lost Jaylen Castleberry, Charles Calhoun, and Dontae Pollard all to graduation in the offseason, but did retain Adrian Laing, who led the team in interceptions last season.
In the transfer portal, it’s a pair of JUCO hopefuls who will fight for snaps with Nakeel Lawrence (Butte) and Asa Locks (Iowa Western CC). But with no early enrollment freshmen in the mix, it’s looking to be a dogfight for the starting jobs in the cornerback room, along with the numerous rotation spots Henry Baker will try to fill in.
#13, Denzel Chavis – 185/6’0, R-So
Union City, NJ (Union City)
Coming into his third season of action for the Owls, Chavis was a standout in spring camp, taking regular assignments against top receivers Jayce Freeman, Colin Chase, and JoJo Bermudez.
Chavis, who appeared in every game for the Owls last season, saw his role increase as the season went on, appearing as a regular on special teams and eventually earning his first career start against East Carolina, where he recorded a career-high four tackles.
With a relatively thin room in 2026, Chavis comes in with a good amount of experience in comparison to his peers on the outside. As long as he holds on with a strong camp, there is little reason to believe Chavis won’t line up as the top corner in week one.
#32, Adrian Laing – 6’1/180, R-So
North Bergen, NJ (Paramus Catholic)
Another guy coming into his third season on North Broad is Adrian Laing, who was a breakout talent for Temple in 2025.
Laing picked off a pass against Howard along with another against Charlotte, which he turned into a 64-yard pick-six.
Now in 2026, with the Owls’ depth thinned out, Laing looks to fill in as the second cornerback on the roster, with a mountain of competition behind him. However, as one of the most talkative guys on the field and one of Temple’s fiercest competitors, Laing seems to be the guy you want to scrap for the job.
#27, Devontae Ward-Grant – 5’11/165, R-Fr
Florida City, FLA (Evans)
Ward-Grant comes into his second year as just a redshirt freshman after seeing limited playing time in 2025.
However, the Orlando, Florida, product turned himself into a name to watch out for in spring ball, working his way up the totem pole to earn first-team reps on the regular and work his way into a possible CB3 role come the fall.
Nonetheless, he’s put right in the heat of a deep competition for the spot, with tons of guys chomping at the bit behind him.
#14, Nakeel Lawrence – 200/6’1, R-Jr
Pine Bluff, AR (Watson Chapel)
The first of Temple’s two cornerback transfers, Nakeel Lawrence, joins the Owls from the JUCO ranks, where he had an incredible 2025 season, in which he was named a unanimous all-conference and all-state selection after allowing zero receptions in conference play and picking off a pass.
Lawrence saw some big snaps with the second and first team in the spring, but sits in a wading area of sorts, with lots to be seen in fall camp as question marks still float.
#11, Earl Kulp – 190/6’0, R-So
Canton, OH (St. Thomas Aquinas)
Kulp comes into his second season with the Owls following a freshman campaign with Purdue.
In 2025, Kulp played a depth role, not seeing all that much action in meaningful spots. Though he could very well make a case to compete for a rotational spot in the fall, he didn’t do all that much to stand out in spring camp.
#21, Asa Locks – 185/6’0, R-Jr
Temple Hills, MD (Patuxent)
The second of the Owls’ two offseason transfers, Locks, who has one of the best cornerback names around, is coming off a strong 2025 season for Iowa Western CC.
The Marylander played in 13 games and recorded 28 total tackles and 22 solo tackles. He had three interceptions and returned one for a touchdown while notching a career-high six tackles in a 35-24 win over Coffeyville CC. In a 35-21 win over Garden City CC, he recorded two tackles and one pick-six.
Though through spring camp for the Owls, Locks never really took off, performing about par with third- and second-team reps.
#20, Jett White – 175/6’2, R-Fr
Los Angeles, CA (Edison)
After not seeing a snap during his freshman season for the Owls, White made a few big plays through spring camp with a majority of the third-team regiment.
While not a standout by any means, it remains to be seen if White’s prowess toward the end of the spring can translate to the field for fall camp, where he could jump up the depth chart just that much more to find himself some snaps this season.
#31, Bryson Goodwin – 6’2/180, R-So
Tampa, FLA (Jesuit)
Goodwin joined the Owls as a wide receiver as part of the 2024 recruiting class but made the move over to cornerback this offseason in accordance with coaching decisions.
Goodwin did well at the position for the most part, but definitely experienced some growing pains at a position he had not yet played full-time in college.
It’s hard to see Goodwin making too many waves in fall camp, though he could certainly begin to contribute regularly on the defense a year or two down the line.
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