Preseason camp notebook: A closer look at the receiver room

With Temple football’s preseason camp officially underway, OwlScoop.com is providing fans with a story after every press conference highlighting updates from the team’s players and coaches to best prepare fans for the start of Temple’s season on Sept. 2 when they travel to Rutgers.

On Wednesday, wide receivers coach Thad Ward, and wide receivers Amad Anderson, Kadas Reams and Kwesi Evans spoke to the media after the team’s seventh practice at SUNY-Maritime College football facility in The Bronx.

Wednesday’s press conference was focused mostly on how the coaching staff is promoting versatility in the Owls’ crowded receiver room.

“These guys are going to be interchangeable,” Ward said. “We are gonna play these guys in-out, out-in, one, two and three, to be totally honest with you. Right now, we are just putting them in positions so they can learn, and we always place our guys where they can be most effective.”

The Owls are returning their top two pass catchers from last season in Jadan Blue and Randle Jones, who are most likely entrenched as starters for this season. Blue said during his fall camp availability last week he’s mostly working in the slot. Last season, Blue spent 347 of his 423 reps in the slot, according to Pro Football Focus.

Jones said he was mostly lining up outside, which would be a change from last season because he spent 164 of his 241 reps in the slot, according to PFF.

Temple is also returning receiver Jose Barbon, who recorded eight catches for 82 yards last season. Barbon’s best chance to see the field is probably playing mostly out wide since he recorded 226 of his 244 total reps outside last season, according to PFF.

Despite this, Barbon is not yet entrenched as a starter alongside Jones and Blue.

Temple has a lot of options to choose from when deciding who is going to see reps with Blue and Randle, including Anderson, who transferred from Purdue this offseason.

Anderson is enjoying Temple’s style of offense, and said he’s still in the process of learning the playbook, but has made a lot of progress due to help from older players.

“It’s just more opportunities for me,” Anderson said. “There's opportunities for me everywhere in this offense. Everybody gets their fair share. If you’re making plays, then your number is going to get called. I’m just happy to be in an offense that is like that.”

Alongside Anderson, Evans is also competing for a starting spot after playing primarily on special teams last season. Although he and the Owls are focusing on versatility, the 6-foot-3 Evans is taking most of his reps as an outside receiver during fall camp.

“I’m a very versatile receiver,” Evans said. “I can line up at No. 1 or No. 2. I’m gonna give you guys my all, and you are gonna see a lot of exciting things coming up.”

Two names that have consistently popped up during fall camp are redshirt-freshman De’Von Fox and freshman Malik Cooper.

Fox played in four games last season and recorded seven catches for 53 yards, but is getting reps in the slot opposite Blue during fall camp, meaning he would play whenever Temple uses four wide receivers.

As for Cooper, he’s popped up consistently in the team’s Fall Camp Blog, including catching a 65-yard touchdown pass on Aug. 5 and catching a 35-yard touchdown pass on Aug. 9.

“He’s just a mentally tough kid, a kid from Philadelphia who we love,” Ward said about Cooper. “We recruited the right kid when we did recruit him. Tough kid, not afraid to jump out there, and the light is not too big for him.”

Reams is another name for fans to keep an eye on this season as he enters his fourth season with the Owls. He was mentioned in the team’s Fall Camp Blog on Aug. 7 for making a “highlight reel” catch.

Although he hasn’t played much throughout his career, Reams is focused on helping the team in any way possible.

“I just want to put myself in a better position to help the team,” Reams said. “If it is to play a lot this year or just getting blocking stuff or being an impact player, but yea, I’ve been working to make something happen this year.”