By the time Stan Drayton walked to the podium at the Loews Arlington Hotel during Tuesday’s American Athletic Conference football media day, his Owls had already been picked to finish in the basement of the conference’s preseason media poll for the second time in three years.

And after consecutive 3-9 seasons, the loss of quarterback E.J. Warner to the transfer portal and the loss of all-conference linebacker Jordan Magee to the NFL, the poll result wasn’t shocking.

But Drayton strode to the podium with a smile on his face and spoke with confidence about the future of his program.

He instead focused on proving himself and the team’s goals right.

“I’m excited about this football team,” Drayton said. “I know we’ve embarked on a couple of tough years, but I’m excited about this football team. As we embark on this landscape that we are in, and you hear a lot of the horror stories we have to endure as coaches from time to time, there are some positives to come out of this.

We were able to put together a roster that enhanced our football team across the board, in all positions. I don’t know if we would have been able to do that without the transfer portal.”

Temple did bring in 43 new players in the offseason via high school recruiting and the portal to fill the gaps of what they lost following the 2023 season. Key transfers like cornerbacks Jaylen Lewis, who joins the squad from Arkansas, and Western Carolina safety transfer Andreas Keaton could and probably should impact a secondary that needs help. And on offense, running backs like Tyrei Washington, Terrez Worthy and Antwain Littleton could help rejuvenate a stagnant running game.

However, most of the work was done to help catapult the trenches on both sides of the ball, something Drayton emphasized during Tuesday’s presser.

Temple’s offensive line has been plagued with injuries throughout Drayton’s tenure, and the Owls lost a key starter and leader when single-digit right tackle Victor Stoffel transferred to Cal. And with a rash of injuries to players like K.J. Miles, Demerick Morris and Allan Haye, Temple’s defensive line had problems stopping the run and impacting the line of scrimmage last season, so adding a player like JUCO transfer Sekou Kromah to complement the healthy returns of Miles, Morris and Haye was a priority.

“We’ve added some depth,” Drayton said. “We’ve gotten older, we’ve gotten bigger. So I am excited.”

Drayton’s players have also taken on his optimism, hoping to rewrite the past of the Owls’ recent struggles.

Morris in particular took it upon himself to bring the team together. Drayton went on vacation following the end of the year, hoping to clear his head after a grueling four months of football.

One night, he decided to text Morris to ask how the players were doing without him present. The senior responded by saying that they needed the coaches to get away for the team to grow closer.

“[The players] are of the mindset of changing the narrative,” Drayton said. “They aren’t looking for excuses. When we talk in terms of what Temple Tuff is, we’re not trying to find excuses for the past. We’re not looking through the rearview mirror. We’re looking ahead.”

Temple reports for preseason camp on July 29 with the Aug. 30 season opener at Oklahoma just a month away. The starting quarterback job is one of many position battles to be settled in August, and Drayton didn’t commit to a likely week one starter in talking to reporters Tuesday.

Listen to Drayton's Tuesday remarks here.