Temple Football Position Preview; Quarterback
Tagged under: News, Pennsylvania Colleges, pfn, Temple
Mike Livingston | May 4, 2026
As the thick of the college football offseason comes into full swing, and with two months of live practice now in the past, it’s time to break down Temple football’s roster position by position, and player by player, starting behind center.
The Owls will come into fall camp with a quarterback battle still very much intact. The transfer duo of Ajani Sheppard (Washington State) and Jaxon Smolik (Penn State) went blow-for-blow for a majority of the spring session, though it was only toward the end that Smolik began to emerge as the slight frontrunner with a strong finish to camp, especially in the team’s Cherry & White scrimmage.
The Owls will go into fall camp with a quarterback competition for the third consecutive year following last year’s bout between Gevani McCoy and Evan Simon. Temple will also look to find a consistent starting presence at signal-caller for the first time since EJ Warner in 2022 and 2023.
#14, Jaxon Smolik — 6-1, 205, R-So., Van Meter, IA (Dowling Catholic)
While Smolik recently emerged as a possible slight frontrunner for the quarterback job, he originally slumped out of the gates in spring practices while adjusting to the system put in place by head coach K.C. Keeler and offensive coordinator Tyler Walker — consistently overthrowing or missing targets and struggling with pocket composure against a potent Owls defensive front.
Smolik, who appeared in just four total games for Penn State during his three seasons in Happy Valley, comes in as a redshirt sophomore following a redshirt and injury designation season, using just one season of eligibility in 2025, when he appeared in three games behind Nittany Lions starter Drew Allar.
Smolik’s play eventually took a somewhat dramatic turn in spring ball as he gained better pocket presence, and a strong running game spearheaded by Sam Brown helped anchor the Owls’ offense into a multifaceted machine.
By the Cherry & White game, Smolik notably hit JoJo Bermudez on a 60-yard touchdown pass down the right sideline on a play he almost certainly would not have made at the beginning of camp.
#13, Ajani Sheppard — 6-2, 230, R-Jr., Bronx, NY (Iona Prep)
Sheppard, a somewhat rare New York City product, spent his first two seasons at Rutgers, appearing in only five games before moving to Washington State last season, where he was promised the starting job — though he never saw the field due to an injury suffered before the season.
In limited live action, Sheppard appeared mainly as a runner, rushing for 20-plus yards twice during the 2024 season for the Scarlet Knights.
Through the Owls’ spring camp, Sheppard didn’t particularly use his ability on the ground as much as may have been anticipated. What the veteran signal-caller did do, however, was settle his offense.
Usually coming in for second-team snaps or on the second round of first-team reps, Sheppard routinely found himself settling an offense that was sometimes jumbled while going against the Owls’ defense.
Sheppard’s composure in the pocket is what kept him firmly — and will continue to keep him — in a starting race that often felt like it was being pushed Smolik’s way.
#11, Camren Boykin — 6-2, 190, R-Fr., Upper Marlboro, MD (Maret)
Boykin joined the team as a freshman in 2025 and sat behind Simon and McCoy during their quarterback battle. Despite what many believed, he stuck around through the offseason and will look to play third string once more behind Sheppard and Smolik as a redshirt freshman.
Boykin, who was a star behind center at the Potomac School and Maret, was one of the first freshmen to join K.C. Keeler’s staff.
Despite the large snap disparity, Boykin did receive a decent amount of first- and second-team reps throughout the spring. He found a sweet spot over the middle with targets like senior tight end Peter Clarke and showed he has the talent to possibly compete for a starting job down the line for the Owls.
#16, Brady Palmer — 6-2, 215, Fr., Bloomingdale, IL (St. Thomas Aquinas)
One of two freshman quarterbacks for the Owls in 2026, Palmer was visibly the better of the two throughout most of spring camp.
Palmer lettered all four years of high school at Wheaton St. Francis High School before transferring to St. Thomas Aquinas for his senior year, notably throwing for 3,000 yards and 33 touchdowns as a junior and playing in the Adidas Freshman All-American Game.
Palmer did well with his limited action past the third team. He shouldn’t be expected to see the field this season and will likely redshirt his freshman year before possibly competing for the starting job next season.
#15, Brody Norman — 6-0, 185, Fr., Mooresville, NC (Mooresville)
The Owls’ second freshman quarterback, Brody Norman, competed neck and neck with Palmer for most of the spring for the fourth-string quarterback spot.
While Palmer has a visible edge following spring camp, Norman showed flashes throughout April, giving reason to believe the former Iredell County Player of the Year could still overtake Palmer as the Owls’ top freshman signal-caller.
#19, Patrick Keller — 6-4, 205, R-Jr., Doylestown, PA (Central Bucks East)
The Owls’ designated sideline signal-caller and locker room favorite, Keller, comes into his fifth and final season as a walk-on quarterback.
The local product and Doylestown native will continue to anchor the Temple quarterback room as the sixth stringer.
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