After entering the transfer portal in December, Delaware linebacker Ty Davis found himself on the phone with someone he had known about long before their conversation — new Temple coach K.C. Keeler.

Davis, a three-year starter at Delaware, quickly connected with Keeler, who spent 11 seasons as Delaware’s head coach and took the Blue Hens to a National Championship in 2003. That phone call eventually led to a visit to North Philadelphia and, ultimately, a commitment from Davis.

“He was a Delaware Hall of Famer and I come from Delaware, so I already knew a little bit about him. ... When he first reached out, when I first got in contact and my first phone call with him, I just thought it was so cool,” Davis told OwlScoop.com prior to announcing his commitment. “I told my friends from Delaware that I played with, I was like, ‘I just got off the phone with K.C Keeler.’ It was surreal for sure.”

“I just really like his coaching style and I really like him as a person,” Davis added. “And then along with that, I really connected with the whole defensive staff and the whole coaching staff as a whole when I did visit. That kind of just pointed me in that direction to go to Temple.”

Davis initially planned to take more visits after the holiday dead period but eventually changed his mind and committed to a Temple program less than 30 minutes down the road from his South Jersey home. That proximity helped Temple beat out offers from Colorado State, Ohio and Texas State, Davis said.

“My family comes to all my games. They've been to every game since I got to Delaware,” Davis said. “So that was huge for me. Right down the street, 25, 30 minutes, and I can go home when I need to. They can come up when they need to.”

Simply put, Davis was all over the field during his time with the Blue Hens. After originally committing to the Blue Hens as a cornerback in the Class of 2021, Davis moved to safety, a position where he was named Third Team All-CAA in 2023, before settling into even more of a hybrid safety/linebacker role in 2024. That move proved to be even more productive for Davis, as he was named Second Team All-CAA at the position in 2024.

For his career, according to Pro Football Focus, Davis lined up in the box 737 times, at free safety 132 times, as a slot corner 449 times, on the defensive line 387 times and as a true corner 15 times. Regardless of where he lined up, the South Jersey native was productive. During his time at Delaware, Davis racked up 144 tackles, five sacks, 11.5 tackles for a loss, four interceptions and four fumble recoveries.

At Temple, the staff’s pitch to Davis was to use him in a similar fashion, he said.

“They have kind of the same position I played at Delaware but I'd say it's more diverse here at Temple,” Davis said. “[New Temple defensive coordinator Brian Smith] does a little bit more than I did in that position at Delaware. I get the same thing at Delaware but even a little more. Maybe cover a little more, be in space a little more…I really like his defense. He's moving a lot of guys around, blitzing a lot, high pressure, and that's the kind of defense I want to play for.”

“I just like to be around the ball,” Davis added. “I like to find my way around the ball, and I like to make plays. That's kind of the biggest part about my game. Other than being aggressive and physical, my favorite part of the game is just making plays on the ball, getting the ball out, and being around the ball.”

At Delaware, Keeler went 86-52 and took the Blue Hens to three FCS national championship games. Keeler then took Sam Houston to an FCS National Championship of its own during the 2020-21 season. Sam Houston then transitioned to the FBS level and after a 3-9 debut season went 9-3 and won the New Orleans Bowl this season.

The possibility of that level of success at Temple stood out to Davis, he said.

‘That was a huge thing for me. I have full trust in Coach Keeler and what he can do for Temple and that's kind of why I ended up coming here,” Davis said. “I saw what he did at Delaware. I saw what he did at Sam Houston. I just know he's going to bring the same thing to Temple. And I really do trust in him and I trust in the brand that he's going to bring back to Temple. I'm really excited to see where it goes.”