Despite what might go down as the strangest recruiting cycle in college football history, Temple had coach Rod Carey and his staff pieced together a 2021 recruiting class that's headlined by local talent and notable transfers at key positions.
The first wave of that class becomes official today when a number of prospects will sign their National Letters of Intent on the first day of the Early National Signing Period.
Temple is expected to sign at least 13 high school and prep players at least five collegiate transfers on Wednesday. The expected signees hail from 10 different states, with Pennsylvania leading the way with four prospects.
Here's a more detailed breakdown of what to expect in this year's class.
Quarterback
On paper, the crown jewels of Temple's 2021 class may be the gunslingers.
Georgia transfer Dwan Mathis, a former 4-star prospect, started the Bulldogs' season opener this year and is expected to compete for Temple's starting quarterback job, while 3-star prospect Justin Lynch is the younger brother of Jordan Lynch, a Heisman Trophy finalist underneath Carey at Northern Illinois.
Mathis, who will be the highest rated player to suit up for Temple in the Rivals.com era, had offers from schools like Ohio State, Michigan State and Oregon when he came out of Michigan's Oak Park High School as the No. 125 overall prospect and No. 3 Dual Threat quarterback in the 2019 class. As a junior in 2018, Mathis threw for more than 3,000 yards and rushed for more than 700 yards. Mathis started in Georgia's win at Arkansas but threw for just 55 yards. Due to the 2020 season not counting toward any player's eligibility, Mathis should have four years of eligibility for Temple upon his arrival.
More on Mathis' commitment here.
Lynch became one of the first commitments in this class when he verbaled to the Owls back in February. The 6-foot-1 Lynch threw for 1,840 yards and ran for around 1,000 yards en route to a 14-0 season and state championship last season for Chicago's Mount Carmel High School. Lynch will be just 17 years old when he enrolls at Temple and will most likely redshirt.
Lynch broke down his decision to commit to Temple with OwlScoop.com here.
Running Back
As of Dec. 16, Bonner, a transfer from Illinois, is the lone running back in Temple's 2021 class after the Owls elected not to bring in former verbal commitment Johnny Martin III, who played at Highland High School and Timber Creek High School in South Jersey.
The 5-foot-11, 215-pound Bonner played three seasons at Illinois before opting out of the 2020 campaign. He tallied 829 rushing yards in his career with the Illini and led the team with four rushing touchdowns as a freshman.
Temple is looking to build depth at the running back position after former leading rusher Re'Mahn Davis was suspended by the coaching staff and eventually entered the transfer portal and committed to Vanderbilt. Bonner will compete for carries with Tayvon Ruley and a host of younger backs like Onasis Neely and Edward Saydee, and it's possible the program could look to add another running back before the start of the 2021 season.
Wide Receivers
The wide receivers may very well be Temple's deepest positional group from this class, and with good reason. There is a very real possibility that the Owls may have to prepare for life beyond Branden Mack, Randle Jones and Jadan Blue. Mack is a candidate to enter the NFL Draft, while both Jones and Blue could potentially put their names in the transfer portal with the departure of their quarterback, Anthony Russo. Still, Temple could return its trio of starting receivers and it wouldn't surprise many. In any event, the Owls are setting up their wide receiver room for not just 2021, but also for the future of the program.
Malik Cooper, a local standout from St. Joe's Prep and one of the best players from Philly, headlines Temple's class of '21 wideouts. Temple running backs coach Gabe Infante and former St. Joe's Prep head coach helped secure a verbal commitment from Cooper in early February after the Owls offered him back in September of 2019. Cooper chose Temple over offers from Kent State, Toldeo and William & Mary. The 5-foot-9, 168-pound athlete scored three touchdowns in the Prep's third straight state championship, while also garnering First-Team All-Catholic honors this season.
OwlScoop.com checked in on Cooper last month.
Jaden Coffen, a versatile playmaker from St. Albans High School in Washington, D.C., locked in his commitment in early June, just a week after being officially offered a scholarship. Coffen had an extensive list of offers, including holding seven from Ivy League schools, but when it came down to it he chose Temple over App State, Princeton, Yale and Georgetown. Temple envisions the 6-foot-2, 195-pound Coffen playing the "X-receiver position," allowing him to match up one-on-one in the boundary and go make plays.
More on Coffen's commitment here.
Antonio Barber, a former Tennessee commit, elected to take a prep year after playing on a torn ACL during his junior season of high school. Barber chose Temple over offers from NC State, Coastal Carolina, Buffalo and Missouri. In Barber, the Owls are getting an explosive receiver, who plays above his listed 6-foot-1 height. Barber could likely come in and play right away, potentially filling Branden Mack's role, as Mack's future with the Owls still hangs in the balance.
More on Barber's commitment here.
Amad Anderson Jr. is the latest receiver brought in by the Owls. The Purdue transfer and Staten Island native announced that he would be transferring to Temple on Monday. Anderson had 31 catches for 343 yards and three touchdowns as a redshirt freshman for the Boilermakers in 2019. This season, he was buried on the depth chart and caught just five passes for 19 yards, before opting out and entering the transfer portal. At the time of his commitment in 2017, the former 3-star recruit committed to Purdue over schools like Boston College, Maryland and Rutgers, who he originally verbaled to before reopening his recruitment.
Tight Ends
Coleman Jeffcoat, a 3-star playmaker from Charlotte’s Mallard Creek High School, originally intrigued Temple’s coaching staff with his ability to play both sides of the ball. He’ll come in as a tight end but has the potential to be pushed out to wideout or even outside linebacker. During his junior season, Jeffcoat had 12 catches for 300 yards and a touchdown.
Offensive Lineman
Archbishop Carroll product Jimto Obidegwu could potentially be Temple's left tackle of the future. The Washington, D.C. native chose Temple over schools like Old Dominion, Tulane and James Madison. The Owls envision Obidegwu as a swing tackle, who can play both tackle spots and even fill in at guard.
More on Obidegweu's commitment here.
Keshaun Jones is tied with Jordan Laudato as Temple's second-highest rated recruit, according to Rivals. The 6-foot-5, 280-pound offensive tackle from Centralia High School in Centralia, Illinois, just outside of St. Louis, chose Temple over offers from Kent State and FIU. He's quick on his feet and projects as a swing tackle at the next level but has more experience over on the right side.
Jones spoke about his Temple offer with OwlScoop.com back in May.
Defensive Line
Going into the 2021 season, there’s a possibility that Temple will return every member of its defensive line, including breakout star Arnold Ebiketie, who garnered second team All-AAC honors this week after recording a team-high four sacks and 8.5 TFL in just six games. In addition to the returners, Temple defensive line coach Walter Stewart’s group should also get an infusion of talent in this class as the Owls added a Power 5 starter and two talented high school prospects to the line.
Washington State transfer Will Rodgers started 19 games for the Cougars from 2018 through 2020, including 11 of his last 13 games. Rodgers led Washington State with four sacks in 2019 and finished tied for No. 21 in the Pac-12 with 25 quarterback pressures. The 6-foot-4, 255-pound Rodgers has one of eligibility left and brings the ability to play all four positions on Temple’s defensive line.
Three-star Jordan Laudato from West Chester's Henderson High School, chose Temple over offers from a number of MAC schools after logging eight sacks and 21 TFL in 2019. Henderson played just five games this season, but Laudato still managed an All Ches-Mont League selection.
Read more about Laudato’s commitment to Temple here.
Joining Laudato on the line will be Jalen Satchell, who chose Temple over Appalachian State, Navy and Kent State back in June. While Laudato forecasts as an edge rusher or possibly even an eventual outside linebacker, the 6-foot-2, 250-pound Satchell’s future is likely on the interior of the defensive line. Satchell is expected to be an early enrollee and move onto Temple’s campus next month.
Linebackers
The Central High School star is one of two Philadelphia signees in Temple's 2021 class, along with St. Joe's Prep standout Malik Cooper. Kamara picked up his offer from the Owls back in April and eventually committed to Temple back on July 31.
Kamara chose Temple over more than 10 offers, including UConn, Army and Navy.
Defensive Backs
UConn transfer Keyshawn Paul, who did not play this fall because the Huskies decided not to play in 2020, can provide immediate help at cornerback. The Jackson High School product from Miami recorded 36 tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss and had one interception in 2019.
Camden High School's Corey Palmer, who announced his commitment to Temple Tuesday afternoon, is one of the more highly regarded players in the Owls' 2021 class and will most likely play safety for the Owls. Palmer, who played his junior season at Florida's IGM Academy before returning to Camden for his senior campaign, entertained multiple Power 5 offers from programs like North Carolina, Miami and Syracuse.
Conwell Egan High School cornerback Andrew Garwo originally committed to Colorado State because of his familiarity with head coach Steve Addazio, who coached his brother Pat Garwo III, at Boston College. The younger Garwo flipped his commitment to Temple in late August with the hope of seeing the field early in his career as a boundary cornerback under defensive coordinator Jeff Knowles.
More on Garwo's commitment here.
Jalen McMurray was the fourth player to verbally commit to Temple’s 2021 class adding depth at the cornerback position. His relationship with the coaching staff, in particular cornerbacks coach Melvin Rice, made all the difference in bringing McMurray to 10th and Diamond.
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