Temple announced on Monday 14 transfer additions to the roster for the spring semester, including three players who were introduced on National Signing Day last month in Wise High School running back DeCarlos Young, Hun School tight end Ryder Kusch and Independence Community College linebacker Damien Ordonez.
Young and Kusch are two of Temple’s four high school and prep school early enrollees who will be able to participate in spring practice, joining Florida cornerbacks Devontae Ward-Grant from Evans High School and 4-star recruit Jett White from Edison High School. Kusch, a native of British Columbia, and Young, a two-time Maryland 4A Player of the Year, both verbally committed to the previous Temple staff over the summer and stayed with the Owls during the coaching change from Stan Drayton to K.C. Keeler.
The list of 14 players announced Monday includes three FBS transfers in former UMass defensive tackle Aaron Beckwith, former Kentucky linebacker Jayvant Brown and running back Jay Ducker, who led Sam Houston State in rushing with 745 yards this past season under Keeler. Ducker will compete for snaps in spring ball with Terrez Worthy, one of three Temple players who recently decided to hop out of the NCAA’s transfer portal and return to North Broad Street, along with left tackle Kevin Terry and defensive tackle Joseph Auzenne.
Six of the transfer additions come from the FCS ranks and will add depth at cornerback, linebacker and quarterback. Keeler and his staff have added three cornerbacks in Jaylen Castleberry (Youngstown State), Avery Powell (Missouri State) and Omar Ibrahim (Hampton), while former Robert Morris quarterback Anthony Chiccitt will join a quarterback room that includes returning starter Evan Simon and third-stringer Tyler Douglas. Forrest Brock, who started Temple’s opener at Oklahoma and later started at Navy and UConn, is retiring from football, as OwlScoop first reported last week.
Linebacker Ty Davis, a former South Jersey standout at Lenape High School, will join Temple after compiling 42 tackles, three sacks and two interceptions at Delaware this season. Fellow linebacker and South Jersey native Willy Love has transferred to Temple after compiling 25 tackles at Monmouth this past season as a freshman.
When Temple opens spring practice on Tuesday, March 11, it will take the field with 69 scholarship players. To help address the loss of standout kicker Maddux Trujillo, the Owls have added walk-on kicker and punter Darren Wu to the spring roster. Wu, a graduate of South Jersey's Shawnee High School, was Lafayette's kickoff specialist as a freshman in 2023, entered the portal following the season and chose to enroll at Temple this year, although he was not part of the team this past season.
Keeler’s first Cherry and White game with the Owls will be Saturday, April 12.
OwlScoop has spoken with several of the new spring roster additions. Get to know them here.
4-star CB Jett White talks Temple commitment
Versatile Delaware linebacker Ty Davis chooses Temple
It's all Love: Monmouth transfer talks Temple commitment
Hampton transfer Omar Ibrahim has single-digit goals at Temple
Youngstown State corner Jaylen Castleberry was sold on Temple immediately