Cameron Ruiz wants to be Temple's Swiss Army knife at corner

Cameron Ruiz described his decision to come to Temple from Northwestern via the transfer portal as a leap of faith.

Because the NCAA had prohibited in-person visits due to the COVID-19 pandemic for more than a year, Ruiz picked Temple sight unseen. What he knew of the campus, the program, the academic programs and facilities was based on YouTube or FaceTime calls with Temple’s coaches.

But a few things, even from the outside looking in, were very clear to Ruiz as he contemplated leaving a Big Ten program for one in the American Athletic Conference.

“They pass a lot,” Ruiz said of the style of play in the American.

“It’s not as cold,” Ruiz opined of the difference between Chicago and Philly.

“And I think I read something before I came to Temple that Temple has the most active players NFL players before this draft out of (any Group of 5 program), so that was something that motivated me to come here,” Ruiz noted.

Check, check and check.

The Philly temperatures, if not unpredictable, are a bit warmer than Chicago’s, but there are some firm numbers to examine. Temple finished 10th out of 11 teams in the American in scoring defense in 2020, having allowed an average of 37.1 points in seven games, and last in the league in pass defense efficiency. And the Owls do currently have 25 players on NFL rosters heading into training camp.

So a Temple team that lost both of its starting cornerbacks to the transfer portal in Christian Braswell (Rutgers) and Linwood Crump (Colorado State) certainly has a need for an experienced Big Ten player like Ruiz, and Ruiz is hoping to add his name to Temple’s NFL track record if he can respond with an excellent season playing opposite fellow transfer Keyshawn Paul, who last played at UConn.

“It’s a respected program, especially in college football. Everybody knows who Temple is if you play in college football,” Ruiz said. “And I know they’re respected in the NFL, too. I care about that for my future.”

If the 2021 season proves to be a mutually beneficial relationship for both Temple and Ruiz, then the Owls have a pretty good chance of bouncing back from a 1-6 COVID-riddled 2020 season. In short, they’ll need him to be good, because there’s very little experience beyond the pair of transfers.

There’s Freddie Johnson, a former wideout who has started just three games at corner over the last two seasons. And while Elijah Clark was said to have a solid spring, started the season finale against ECU and notched an interception at Memphis last fall, he’s still young, as are freshmen Daiyaan Hawkins and Garrett Williams. Jeremy Jennings has always been fast and remains an intriguing option at corner, but he’s yet to put it all together.

Ruiz registered 15 career starts at Northwestern, including five last fall. He amassed 93 tackles, including 5.5 for a loss, to go with two sacks and an interception. Like he was with the Wildcats, Ruiz could be moved around a lot in 2021, playing both outside and in the slot.

“They see me playing corner, playing the nickel,” he said, “so doing a lot of things, being like a Swiss Army knife for the defense, I would say, and that’s something that I wanted.”

Having a fellow Chicago-area native in Melvin Rice as Ruiz’s position coach is comforting, he said.

“We were able to connect automatically based on Chicago,” the 5-foot-11, 185-pound Ruiz said. “And then also he played the position, so we can talk about scenarios and situations and not everything is so technical. I like that.”

Ruiz, who is enrolled in a two-year master’s program in Media Studies and Production at Temple’s Klein College of Media and Communication and has a second year of eligibility should he choose to use it, offered a detailed take Sunday on the differences between Chicago and Philadelphia, noting that the Great Chicago Fire that claimed almost 20,000 homes 150 years ago forced the city to rebuild and left it with an infrastructure that is newer in that sense than Philly’s.

But Ruiz, who said he grew up as an Eagles fan rooting for Donovan McNabb, DeSean Jackson and Brian Westbrook, said he likes his new home.

“It’s growing on me,” Ruiz said. “I feel like I’m one with the community now, especially being here at Temple and doing a lot community service. It’s very old school, which I also like. And I love being in the city, too. I’m a city boy.”