Temple Football Position Preview; Safety
Tagged under: News, Pennsylvania Colleges, Temple
Mike Livingston | June 8, 2026
At the backline of Temple’s defense, one can find what, in all likelihood, is the most contentious position on the roster, in a good way.
Temple’s safety room is overflowing at the brim with talent. With five players who could very well hold the two starting spots come week one when Rhode Island comes into the Linc, and even more viable players behind them, the Owls have a very good problem in their defensive backfield.
Temple lost one notable player at the position in the offseason, the team’s sixth-leading tackler, Javier Morton, who graduated from the University. K.C. Keeler and Brian Smith opted to replace Morton with a troop of five transfers and two three-star recruits to join one of the team’s best returning defenders in Avery Powell.
Smith, who also doubles as the team’s safeties coach along with Henry Baker (pass game coordinator), not only loaded up the position in the offseason but had nearly every guy in the room going on all cylinders in spring ball – making for one of the best position battles on the Owls roster.
#29, Avery Powell – 5’10/170, R-Sr
East Orange, NJ (St. Peter’s Prep)
Coming into his final season of eligibility in one of the best rooms he’s ever played in, Powell is looking like the leader of this Temple safeties room.
After spending a year at Holy Cross and another two at Missouri State, Powell played the 2025 season with the Owls, where he came in as the starting free safety and played every game at that spot.
Powell went on to record an interception, three fumble recoveries, and became one of the team’s leading tacklers with 42.
He continued to show why he is one of the most talented players in the building throughout the spring, as the competition played a part in the iron sharpens iron mentality that Keeler has instilled in his team.
Keeler also went on the record during the spring, remarking that Powell surprised him with how much he stepped up in light of the competition he received throughout the spring.
Expect Powell to be a contender for a single digit come fall camp.
#24, Saboor Karriem – 6’3/210, Sr
East Orange, NJ (West Orange) – Illinois
Another veteran coming into his final season is one of the Owls’ premier transfers in Saboor Karriem.
Karriem, who made the move after three seasons in the Big 10 with Illinois, played in all 13 games for the Fighting Illini last year, recording 22 tackles, with a season high of 10 in a game against No. 21 USC.
Karriem saw the field at a decent clip in all three seasons he spent in Champaign, even earning a start during his sophomore season.
Karriem showed out as one of the most vocal players on the field all spring, and he backed it up with his play, making standout plays on the regular and making life difficult for the Owls’ pair of inexperienced quarterbacks.
Look for Karriem to be a nuisance for Temple all season long with a big role coming in the defensive backfield.
#17, Jaeden Gould – 6’2/210 – R-Sr
Somerset, NJ (Bergen Catholic)
Following four years of bouncing around between Nebraska, Syracuse, and UCF, Gould made the move to the Group of Five.
The New Jersey native appeared in all 12 games for the Knights last season but struggled to make much of an impact on the field.
That task was no issue for him in the spring season, as Gould consistently found his way into passing lanes for pass breakups while also helping to hook on receivers like JoJo Bermudez and Colin Chase in long ball situations.
Gould has a real chance to claim a starting safety spot, and even if he doesn’t, he’ll be a regular in the Owls’ backfield, swapping places all around the back end.
#19, Josiah Jackson – 6’1/195, R-Jr
Cincinnati, OH (Fairfield) – Garden City CC, West Virginia
Jackson comes to North Broad as yet another safety transfer, this time from JUCO ball at Garden City CC, where he spent one season following time at West Virginia.
Jackson has been held in high regard by the Owls staff and performed well in spring ball, never slipping up and always making the right plays, though seemingly never making too big of a leap to distinguish himself from his peers.
Jackson has a chance to climb the ladder some more in the fall and make the position battle that much more interesting.
#16, Pooh Lawton – 175/5’11, R-Sr
Newark, NJ (West Side)
Lawton joined the Owls last season from in-state D-II Slippery Rock, where he spent the first three seasons of his college career.
Lawton competed last season for the Owls and saw a decent amount of snaps throughout the year, even getting a starting assignment in Temple’s game against Army.
If it hadn’t been for the Owls’ big additions at safety this offseason, Lawton likely would be considered a starter or closer to the top of the ladder at the least around this point in the offseason.
Nonetheless, the Jersey native is still very much in the race to gain a starting job and at least see marginal playing time throughout the year.
#25, Orel Gray – 5’11/195, R-Jr
Jacksonville, FLA (University Christian School) – Itawamba CC
Another JUCO transfer, Gray spent last season at Itawamba CC after spending his freshman year at Florida A&M.
Gray played well at Itawamba and continued his upward trajectory with the Owls, where he got time on the bubble of the first and second team for most of the spring, also spending a decent amount of time taking third-team reps.
Gray is in a spot where he may just be a good week of practice away from distinguishing himself as a name to look out for on 10th and Diamond.
#18, Kolin Dinkins – 6’2/200, R-Sr
Wexford, PA (North Allegheny)
Yet another Penn State transplant, Dinkins spent the first four seasons of his career in Happy Valley before joining the Owls in the offseason.
The Pennsylvania product, however, was never able to break through with the Nittany Lions and now joins the fray for Temple, where he had a good spring camp, making a couple of big plays but never settling into a role of any kind.
Dinkins’ talent seems undeniable; however, he’s another case where it’s going to take a bit more time for the Owls staff to figure out exactly what they have in him.
#23, Nyil Powell – 6’1/195, R-Jr
Jersey City, NJ (Paramus Catholic)
Nyil Powell carved out a role for himself as a redshirt sophomore last year with consistent snaps on special teams and a depth role in the safety room.
While his defensive snaps will certainly take a big hit, he leads the pack as a guy who will, in all likelihood, be a regular on special teams in 2026.
#42, Jamarcus Pierre – 5’10/180, R-Fr
Deerfield Beach, FLA (Cardinal Gibbons)
Coming into his second season with the Owls, Pierre will likely take another year of progression before seeing any meaningful time on the field.
He could perhaps be ready for the opportunity in 2026. With the mountains of depth in front of him, it’s hard to believe he’d see much action on defense, though a special teams role could certainly be in the playing cards.
#39, Daron Harris – 6’1/180, Fr
Chester, PA (Chester)
One of the Owls’ top freshmen in the 2026 class, Daron Harris, was a local star at Chester High School as a two-way player.
Harris performed well in the very limited time he got with first- and second-teamers in the spring, but was certainly one of the best freshmen on the field throughout the entirety of the season.
While a role on defense seems very far-fetched right now, he could certainly be a regular on special teams throughout the season. Though if he elects to redshirt, beware of a possible looming transfer next offseason.
#41, Jack Paessler – 5’11/170, R-So
Newtown, PA (Council Rock North)
Coming into his third season as a walk-on, the local kid became a regular depth piece on defense and special teams over the past two years, and while that role will be extremely limited on defense this year, his special teams role may even grow.
#38, Alex Hanks – 6’2/195, Fr
East Orange, NJ (East Orange)
The second promising freshman at safety for the Owls was Alex Hanks, yet another North Jersey product.
Hanks, who was a star at East Orange, will take a redshirt in all likelihood but could compete for meaningful snaps as soon as next season.
#46, James Paessler – 5’11/170
Newtown, PA (Council Rock North) – Ursinus
The brother of the aforementioned Jack Paessler, James, joined the Owls as a walk-on after a year at Ursinus College.
He took on a similar role to his brother, playing depth spots in the defensive backfield, but was never able to find a niche on special teams.
#26, Ishim Smith-Marsette – 5’11/195, R-Jr
Newark, NJ (Weequahic)
Smith-Marsette comes into his fourth season with the Owls after missing the entirety of the 2025 season with injury.
After numerous setbacks, Smith-Marsette should take the field in the fall, but a role on the team will still need to be found for the North Jersey product.
#37, Demacio Cooper – 6’3/180, R-So
Langhorne, PA (Neshaminy)
Cooper joined the team as a walk-on in the fall of last season and has not yet seen any meaningful playing time.
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