In a Zoom conversation with reporters following Monday’s preseason camp practice, Stan Drayton was asked if anyone had started to emerge in the competition for the starting quarterback job.
Is it still wide open? Is it more so between Forrest Brock and Evan Simon?
The first name Drayton brought up instead was that of redshirt freshman Tyler Douglas.
“Well, Tyler brings something different to the table, too,” Drayton said of the Ocean Township High School product who signed with Temple as part of the Owls’ 2023 class. “Tyler Douglas is really having a really good fall camp thus far. We’re right at the just over the halfway point of our install, so there's still some things that are going to go in that will affect the quarterback position, and it's going to be real critical for us to find out the productivity that these guys are going to bring within our situations and things of that sort. So it is still an open competition, to answer your question. But at the same time, three guys have emerged, and they're really getting after it, which is fun to watch.”
The task of finding E.J. Warner’s replacement will quite naturally remain one of the main storylines of the Owls’ preseason camp as they prepare for their Aug. 30 season opener at Oklahoma, and Douglas’ name popping up in that conversation isn’t exactly new. Offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf brought up Douglas last week when asked about the quarterbacks, but it was nonetheless interesting to hear Drayton pivot to talking about Douglas first when asked about the position Monday.
At Ocean Township, Douglas played for the same head coach in Don Klein as former Steelers first-round draft pick – and former Temple verbal commit – Kenny Pickett, who is now vying to be Jalen Hurts’ backup with the Eagles. Pickett and Douglas have also worked with the same Jersey-based trainer and mentor in Tony Racioppi. When Douglas committed to Temple in June of 2022, Pickett congratulated him on Twitter.
In the two spring ball practices that were made open to the media in their entirety, Douglas clearly appeared to be the most mobile and athletic of Temple’s quarterbacks, especially once Montana transfer Clifton McDowell threw the staff a curveball and re-entered the transfer portal. But in those two practices, Douglas also seemed to be a step or two behind Brock, a JUCO transfer from California, and Simon, a Rutgers transfer, as a passer.
Drayton indicated Monday that Douglas has progressed as a thrower since April.
“Yeah, he's getting better as a passer,” Drayton said. “He absolutely has the ability to extend the play with his feet. There's no question that is a strength of his. We'll use that if he's the guy, but I think he's getting better in the throw game. He's making fast decisions, getting the ball out of his hands. Couple of really good balls. He threw a couple of shots today for some explosive plays, so he's making it interesting for sure.”
Monday’s practice was Temple’s first of the preseason in full pads, although Drayton indicated it was “pretty much the same as from a physicality standpoint as the previous two practices with shoulder pads on.”
“But we did have a couple of drills today where we went live,” Drayton added, “and I just love our physicality right now and how our team’s responding really well.”
Drayton and three of his assistant coaches – defensive line coach Larry Knight, defensive tackles coach Kevon Beckwith and offensive line coach and run-game coordinator Chris Wiesehan – spoke with reporters in interviews you can listen to here.
Stay tuned to OwlScoop.com for more preseason camp coverage throughout the week, including more details on the defensive tackles, defensive ends and the offensive line.
