With eight spring practices in the books for Temple, some of the focus for head coach K.C. Keeler has been addressing the abysmal rushing attack from last year, one that finished seventh–worst among 133 FBS teams.

But in an offense with a revamped approach from new offensive coordinator Tyler Walker, the wide receiver room needs playmakers as well.

The Owls averaged just 216 yards per game through the air in 2024 and relied heavily upon fifth-year wideout Dante Wright, who led Temple with 792 yards and six touchdowns. No other pass catcher came close to Wright, with USC transfer Ashton Allen totaling 324 yards and two touchdowns.

Walker’s offense, which has promised to show a bunch of variation and creativity, will primarily focus on the run game. While this may be true, the wide receiver room will play a big role in run-pass option plays and short developing plays that could open up things downfield.

This wide receiver room, like the offensive line, is one of the few positions that didn’t make any additions through the transfer portal, with a couple of key players returning from last season. Keeler added wide receivers coach Roy Roundtree from Miami of Ohio, and the Michigan receiver will be tasked with getting the group of returning players together.

The veteran in the room: Ian Stewart

The (sort of) freshface: Reese Clark

The player with the most to prove: John Adams

The Owls' leadership in the wide receiver room might revolve around Ian Stewart, a former single-digit recipient who returns to Temple for his fourth year on North Broad with plenty of experience after spending his first two seasons in 2020 and 2021 at Michigan State in the Big Ten. Unfortunately, while his leadership has been a constant, he has also struggled with injuries.

The Woodhaven, Michigan native suffered a quad tear on the final day of camp last August that sidelined him for the season. Prior to that, he missed four games in 2023 with an injury that occurred in pregame warmups in week two and also missed the final seven games of the season in 2022 due to a foot injury.

In his 11 games played at Temple, Stewart has just 13 receptions for 124 yards. He will have to prove he can remain healthy while being able to contribute to the Owls' offense. Keeler said back on March 11 that Stewart is somebody who is continuing to work back from his injury, focusing in the weight room and off-the-field training.

In Temple’s most recent practices, Stewart has been in uniform with his position group as they work through individual drills. He has been working the training and medical staff and might be on track to start getting some reps by the end of spring ball next month. If Stewart is fully healthy by preseason camp this summer and doesn’t encounter any setbacks, he could potentially be a valuable option in the slot for Walker and whoever ends up starting at quarterback.

With no midyear enrollees or transfer portal additions joining the wide receiver room, Reese Clark might qualify as the fresh face since he switched positions from tight end to wideout.

Clark joined Temple as a tight end out of St. Joe’s Prep in the Owls’ 2022 recruiting class, but his speed always resembled that of a wide receiver, as former offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf occasionally utilized him on some jet sweeps. Clark had his best season in 2023 with 18 receptions for 145 yards but struggled to find playing time in 2024, battling injuries and a talented tight end room.

At 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, Clark has the frame better suited for a wide receiver and has been able to utilize his speed and footwork to find open spaces on the field in previous seasons. Having said that, Clark was seeing a few snaps at tight end during Tuesday’s practice, perhaps because Landon Morris has left the program for the second time in four months, leaving a spot at that position. Whether that was a Tuesday thing or a more permanent thing remains to be seen. Either way, Clark could be a big target at wide receiver for the Owls at a position where most of his teammates are in the 5-foot-9 to 6-foot-2 range.

Grambling State transfer Antonio Jones might tell you he has a lot to prove in his second season at Temple, and so might John Adams, a redshirt senior who has gone from walking on at Temple out of South Jersey’s Deptford High School to earning a scholarship prior to last season. He broke out two seasons ago when he caught 10 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown against UTSA.

Adams didn’t have the most productive season in 2024 but played in all 12 of the Owls’ games, totaling 16 catches for 194 yards and a touchdown. His best game came in the season finale against North Texas, where he finished with four catches for 63 yards.

As one of the key returners for Temple this season, Adams will be looked upon to take a step forward. You could also throw a handful of young receivers into this category as well, like sophomores Jamar Taylor Jr. and Tyler Stewart, redshirt freshman Bryson Goodwin and redshirt sophomore slot receiver Preston Everhart.

Keeler hasn’t yet indicated that wide receiver is an area that needs improvement, but a program coming off four consecutive 3-9 seasons shouldn’t consider itself set at any position, so keep an eye on it as the transfer portal opens again on April 16. Roundtree and the receivers have not been made available to reporters yet this spring, so there’s more to come here.