Temple Football’s 5 Biggest Questions Heading Into Spring Practice

Tagged under: Pennsylvania Colleges, Temple

Mike Livingston | March 13, 2026

As the weather begins to warm and flowers start to bloom, another familiar sound returns to North Philadelphia — the pop of pads on the practice field.

Spring practice has officially begun for Temple football, marking what may be the program’s most anticipated offseason in years. The Owls are coming off a promising first season under head coach K.C. Keeler, finishing 5–7 overall and 3–5 in the American Athletic Conference.

Now entering his second year at the helm, Keeler and the Owls begin the 2026 spring season with plenty of optimism — and just as many questions.

Temple opened spring practice last Tuesday and will take the field every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday until camp concludes with the annual Cherry & White Game on April 11.

As the Owls work through the next month of practices, here are five of the biggest questions that could be answered before spring comes to a close.

5. Who could earn a single digit?

The Owls’ highest honor for active players on the field is one Keeler has not taken lightly since taking over the program last season.

Throughout the 2025 campaign, only five players wore the signature Temple TUFF single-digit numbers on their jerseys. As of March 2026, only two remain — redshirt senior Colin Chase, who elected to wear No. 1, and senior punter Dante Atton (No. 7), who became the first special teams player to receive the honor.

While the honor is typically not decided until preseason camp in mid-August, the Owls will undoubtedly be looking for players to step up both on the gridiron and in the locker room.

Temple’s defense, which originally coined the “Temple TUFF” mantra, notably does not currently have a single-digit player. Defensive tackles Sekou Kromah (No. 0) and Allan Haye (No. 8) both exhausted their eligibility at the end of the 2025 season.

Heading into a new year with a refreshed roster that saw significant graduation turnover during the offseason, a few notable names stand out as potential candidates to receive a single digit.

The first is senior outside linebacker Jaylon Joseph, a transfer from Lafayette. While it’s not common for transfers to receive the honor, it has been done before — most notably last season when Chase earned the distinction following his arrival from St. Thomas in Minnesota.

In three seasons with the Leopards, Joseph became one of the Patriot League’s top edge rushers, recording 7.5 sacks and forcing three fumbles last season.

In an edge-rushing room without a clear top option, Joseph has a prime opportunity to step in as a leader while also becoming a dangerous presence off the edge for the Owls.

Second is redshirt senior safety Avery Powell. Powell, a second-year transfer from Missouri State, was a key piece of a Temple secondary that finished with the third-best pass defense in the AAC. He was second on the team in total tackles with 54 and recorded an interception against UTSA.

The secondary is another area that lacks established leadership on defense. If Powell continues to improve while solidifying himself as a veteran presence, he could be a strong candidate to secure a single digit.

The third and final candidate is one of the top returning players on Temple’s defense, linebacker Curly Ordonez.
Ordonez joined the Owls as a JUCO transfer from Independence Community College last season and quickly became one of defensive coordinator Brian Smith’s most dangerous weapons. He recorded a team-leading 66 tackles, eight tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and multiple pass deflections.

If Ordonez continues to develop, the Fort Lauderdale native could become the perfect leader at the heart of Temple’s defense in 2026.

4. Which transfers will distinguish themselves?

In his first full offseason as head coach, Keeler brought in a whopping 25 players from the transfer portal while losing just one notable contributor.

Not only did Keeler bring in a large number of players, but many of them will have the chance to compete for playing time immediately.

On offense, players such as La Salle College High School graduate and former Rutgers Scarlet Knight Sam Brown and Stony Brook transfer Jayce Freeman will compete for running back and wide receiver roles, respectively.
Both positions are somewhat up for grabs following the departures of last season’s leading rusher Jay Ducker and second-leading receiver Kajiya Hollawayne.

On the defensive side of the ball, the aforementioned Joseph and Sam Houston transfer JaMair Diaz could compete for outside linebacker or EDGE roles, while Penn State transfer Kaleb Artis may have a chance to lock down a nose tackle spot in a competitive defensive line room.

The safety room, however, may prove to be the most competitive in the building.

With five new transfers — three of whom come from FBS programs — players like Jaeden Gould, Kolin Dilkins and Saboor Karriem will all have opportunities to compete for starting roles. Competition will be fierce alongside established contributors like Powell and Pooh Lawton.

Two more transfers who will look to distinguish themselves will be discussed shortly.

3. Can Colin Chase take the next step on the field?

Colin Chase was everything Keeler and offensive coordinator Tyler Walker could have asked for in his first season at Temple after transferring from the University of St. Thomas.

Chase quickly became one of the most outspoken leaders on the roster, earning a single-digit jersey number while producing solid numbers on the field. He finished with 40 receptions for 414 yards and four touchdowns while catching passes from quarterback Evan Simon.

Now, with the largely inexperienced duo of Ajani Sheppard and Jaxon Smolik leading the race for the starting quarterback job, Chase will need to guide his potential signal callers both in the locker room and on the field.
The redshirt senior enters his final year of eligibility with a chip on his shoulder and a prime opportunity for a breakout season.

Spring practice will provide the first glimpse of how Chase and the rest of the wide receiver group develop chemistry with their new quarterbacks.

2. What will become of the offensive backfield?

The departure of Ducker leaves a significant hole in Temple’s backfield, where one of the Owls’ most potent offensive weapons once stood.

While the void may seem large for now, several players will have the opportunity to step in and fill it.
One of the most important position battles to watch this spring and summer will take place in the offensive backfield, where Hunter Smith, Keveun Mason, Brown and Johnny Martin will all compete for the starting role.

Smith may appear to be the early frontrunner after finishing last season as the team’s second-leading rusher with 403 yards and two touchdowns. However, Mason, Brown and Martin will all have legitimate opportunities to earn the job.
Mason saw limited action last season but recorded a touchdown against East Carolina and picked up carries throughout the year.

Both Martin and Brown face a slightly steeper climb. Brown did not see significant playing time at Rutgers, while Martin has recorded 533 career rushing yards across three seasons at Charlotte and Stony Brook.

The next month of spring practice should provide a clearer indication of who leads the race and who may take on a secondary role during the season.

1. Who emerges as the frontrunner for the starting quarterback job?

Of all the questions surrounding Temple football entering spring practice, none is more prominent than the quarterback position.

With the departure of Simon — who held down the starting job for the past two seasons — the Owls are left with a pair of transfers leading the competition: Ajani Sheppard from Washington State and former Penn State quarterback Jaxon Smolik.

Other players, such as Camren Boykin and freshmen Brady Palmer and Brody Norman, will likely receive opportunities to compete but are not expected to be primary contenders at this stage.

Sheppard and Smolik will likely go head-to-head throughout the offseason, and possibly even into the fall. For those who remember, the Owls entered Week 1 last season without officially naming a starting quarterback.

Despite Temple’s recent struggles, the program has not had difficulty finding capable quarterbacks in recent years. Names like E.J. Warner, Simon, Anthony Russo and P.J. Walker have all emerged over the past decade.

Now, with two FBS transfers competing for the job, Keeler will hope the “iron sharpens iron” philosophy holds true.
Sheppard, a 6-foot-2, 230-pound redshirt junior from the Bronx, originally arrived at Washington State after transferring from Rutgers, where he saw limited playing time over two seasons. He did not appear in a game for the Cougars in 2025.

Smolik, meanwhile, was part of the mass exodus that followed Penn State’s late-season collapse and the firing of longtime head coach James Franklin.

The redshirt sophomore from Van Meter, Iowa, attended Dowling Catholic High School. The 6-foot-1 quarterback appeared only in victory formation during three games last season after missing his entire redshirt freshman year due to injury.

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