Over the last decade or so, a number of prolific linebackers have stepped foot on Lincoln Financial Field wearing the Cherry and White. NFL players like Shaun Bradley, Haason Reddick and Tyler Matekevich have all played linebacker for Temple, as have current NFL rookies Jordan Magee and Yvandy Rigby, both of which starred for the Owls last season.

Behind Magee and Rigby was D.J. Woodbury Sr., who only played in five games but was highly impactful in those contests. Woodbury compiled 24 total tackles and led the team with eight stops against Norfolk State. The Burlington City native wound up getting injured against Tulsa, however, and missed the remainder of the season.

Now healthy, the 6-foot-2, 235-pound Woodbury is entering his fifth season with the Owls and is prepared to step into Magee and Rigby’s shoes amidst a revamped linebacker room. In addition to Woodbury, the Owls' linebacking corps features intriguing transfers Tyquan King and T.K. Wright, as well as JUCO additions Eric Stuart, Tyler Lepolo and Katin Suprenant. Redshirt-sophomores Antwone Santiago and London Hall also return for the Owls, who also added a pair of freshmen in Wesley Brown and Tyree Alualu.

“We have a lot of depth in the linebacker room. We have a great coach in Coach (Chris) Woods. He has instilled in us that every opportunity you get, take 100 percent of it. We have a lot of great guys in the room,” Woodbury said. “Every day we are competing. There has not really been a set depth chart in that room. We have so much talent where every day someone else may have a great day so we just want to see who can be consistent with that every day.”

As a team, the Owls have transitioned from a 3-4 base defense last year to a 4-3 squad this season. Woodbury has been playing mostly inside linebacker throughout fall camp but has also been playing some weakside linebacker just to learn it. He says he knows both spots very well, which should provide Temple with flexibility at the linebacker position. Along with finding his position during fall camp, Woodbury has been one of the players that has the new helmet communication system in his helmet, also known as a green dot.

The NCAA decided to allow teams to use helmet microphones for communication in April and the Owls immediately jumped on board. Gone are the days of players looking over to the sideline at their coordinators holding up random pictures as signs. Instead, green dots will now receive play calls from the sideline directly into their helmets. This development should allow teams to play faster and get set up easier, something Woodbury is a big fan of.

“It’s very exciting having someone telling you what to do and telling you the plays in your head so I don’t always have to look to the sideline or wait for the communication. I get it immediately,” Woodbury said. “That helps me whether I can set the front, whether I can move at a different speed rather than having to sit and wait while looking at the sideline and we are debating on what the play is. Now I can get it immediately and decide everything faster.”

Faster is what Temple is going to need to be if it wants to keep things close with Oklahoma Week One. The Sooners are known for playing with an up-tempo offense, something the Owls have been prioritizing during practice. They want to make sure the defense can keep up with a high-octane, up-tempo offense like the one they are preparing to see.

Woodbury credits Magee and Rigby with teaching him everything that he knows over the last four years. Now with them gone, he has taken what they taught him and applied it to the new guys in the linebacker room. Woodbury has high confidence in his room and believes the unit will be an impactful part of Temple’s defense this season.

“We have one of the smartest rooms on defense. I feel like they are fast learners and they are willing to learn,” Woodbury said. “It’s different when someone does not know something and it’s difficult to teach them but my room is willing to learn and to put the time in to take home what me, Coach Woods and other people in the room are saying. So we've been doing a great job of being consistent and making plays and doing our song.”