Skip to content

Temple Owls

American Athletic·1-1·
Elo
1312#114
SP+
-4.9#84
FPI
-7.3
AP
NR
Next@ Toledo · Wk 3Win prob 39%Model +4.8
Talent #80 (631.1)Recruiting class #6837% production returning

Team Leaders

Latest on Temple

All news

Temple's run game has nowhere to go

Matchup · 5d ago

Keveun Mason ran for 158 yards and Temple did not need much else

Matchup · 6d ago

Roster · 119 players

FR 30SO 19JR 22SR 48
#PlayerPosClHtWt
11Camren BoykinQBSO6'2"190
13Ajani SheppardQBSR6'2"230
14Jaxon SmolikQBJR6'1"205
15Brody NormanQBFR6'0"190
16Brady PalmerQBFR6'2"215
19Lamar BestQBFR6'0"175
20R.J. BlountRBFR5'11"205
21De'Carlos YoungRBSO5'11"210
22Johnny MartinRBSR5'10"200
23Jordan MillerRBJR5'7"185
25Ameir MorrowRBFR5'11"210
26Keveun MasonRBSO5'10"190
27Samuel Brown VRBSR6'1"215
29Hunter SmithRBSR5'11"190
1Colin ChaseWRSR6'0"195
10Jayce FreemanWRSR6'4"225
12Demonte GreeneWRSR6'1"180
17JoJo BermudezWRSR5'9"170
24Ash RobertsWRFR5'10"160
28Zander BaptisteWRSO6'4"185
80Hunter WatsonWRFR6'1"180
81Coen LoganWRFR6'1"205
82Tylik MitchellWRSO5'11"185
83Kenedy UzomaWRSO6'5"210
85Rameir HardyWRSO6'2"185
86Reis StocksdaleWRSR5'10"185
87Kaegan ChambersWRSO5'11"170
18Joey SchlafferTESR6'5"250
30Liam FullerTEFR6'6"230
33Ryder KuschTESO6'4"250
40David WiseTEJR6'5"230
44Patrick KellerTESR6'4"205
84Daniel EvertTEJR6'5"250
88Peter ClarkeTESR6'6"265
51Mausa PaluOLSR6'4"335
52Eric KingOLSR6'3"300
53Khalif McnearOLFR6'2"290
54Jackson PruittOLSR6'5"315
55Kevin TerryOLSR6'5"280
56C.J. Van BurenOLSR6'3"290
57Grayson MainsOLSR6'5"300
58Logan KingOLFR6'3"295
63John WatkinsOLFR6'5"300
65Billy BrownOLSO6'4"315
66Aiden ZilkerOLFR6'5"300
70Zach AamlandOLSR6'7"300
71Giakoby HillsOLJR6'5"290
73Karon SpencerOLFR6'6"310
74Davray VenuOLJR6'5"295
75Luke WatsonOLSR6'5"290
76John StoneOLSR6'2"300
77Ransom McDermottOLJR6'8"315
79Jonah TarpleyOLFR6'5"300
34Brandon EnarusaiDLSR6'3"265
48Adriano McLeanDLSO6'6"230
51Antwuan RogersDLFR6'5"245
52Russell Sykes IVDLJR6'3"260
58Kaleb ArtisDLSR6'4"315
59Deshon DodsonDLSO6'3"270
71Kechan MillerDLFR6'2"300
88Lamar FairfaxDLSO6'1"270
89Jayden BrownDLFR6'4"245
90Yamael WigginsDLSR6'2"240
92Jude OkelekeDLFR6'2"300
93Kevin Hornbeak Jr.DLSR6'2"295
94Quante GilliansDLSO6'3"290
95Troy CunninghamDLSO6'3"265
96Semi OdedeleDLJR6'4"320
97Davier BishopDLSR6'5"260
98Joseph AuzenneDLSR6'1"295
99Cameron JonesDLJR6'5"250
10Jaylon JosephLBSR6'2"235
12Willy LoveLBJR6'3"215
15Jordan MontgomeryLBSR6'2"230
22Eric StuartLBSR6'2"215
28David KpegloLBSR6'2"230
30Jayvant BrownLBSR6'0"220
33Curly OrdonezLBSR6'1"220
36Wesley BrownLBJR6'2"210
40Brendan FarhatLBFR6'2"210
43Aiden BrittonLBJR5'11"215
44Tyree AlualuLBJR6'0"230
50Brian AdderleyLBSO6'2"245
53Reggie JonesLBSR6'2"235
54Josh NengiteLBFR6'4"210
55Uyi IgiehonLBFR6'5"225
56JaMair DiazLBSR6'1"245
57Michael Holcomb Jr.LBFR6'3"250
11Earl KulpCBJR6'0"190
13Denzel ChavisCBJR6'0"185
14Nakeel LawrenceCBSR6'1"190
20Jett WhiteCBSO6'2"175
21Asa LocksCBJR6'0"185
27Devontae Ward-GrantCBSO5'11"165
31Bryson GoodwinCBJR6'2"180
32Adrian LaingCBJR6'1"180
35Dylan AbramCBFR6'0"170
49Eyan SteadCBFR5'9"155
16Pooh LawtonSSR5'11"175
17Jaeden GouldSSR6'2"210
18Kolin DinkinsSSR6'2"200
19Josiah JacksonSSR6'1"195
23Zyil PowellSSR6'1"195
24Saboor KarriemSSR6'3"210
25Orel GraySSR5'11"195
29Avery PowellSSR5'10"170
37Demacio CooperSJR6'3"180
38Alex HanksSFR6'2"195
39Daron HarrisSFR6'1"180
41Jack PaesslerSJR5'11"170
42Jamarcus PierreSSO5'10"180
46James PaesslerSSR5'11"170
32Darren WuPKSR5'9"160
90Luke CochranePKFR5'10"185
98Carl HardinPKSR5'9"160
7Dante AttonPSR6'0"200
91Luke SwordPFR6'3"175
46Michael PerilloLSFR5'10"200
97Sam WolfendenLSJR6'2"245

Team Statistics · per game, with national FBS rank

Points / game
23.5
scoring offense
Points allowed
20.5
scoring defense
Differential
+3.0
per game
Offense
Total yards / game
326.0#109
Yards / play
5.6#87
Passing yards / game
124.5#122
Rushing yards / game
201.5#46
First downs / game
16.5#115
3rd down %
29.2%#120
4th down %
100.0%#1
Time of possession
32:01#49
Defense
Yards allowed / game
324.0#72
Yards / play allowed
5.4#87
Pass yards allowed / game
231.5#99
Rush yards allowed / game
92.5#49
3rd down % allowed
48.0%#113
Sacks
3#58
Tackles for loss
7#77
Turnovers & Discipline
Turnover margin
+1#36
Takeaways
3#30
Giveaways
2#68
Penalties / game
4.0#19
Penalty yards / game
40.0#39

Rank is national among all FBS teams (#1 = best), oriented so higher rank = better even for defensive and discipline metrics. Bars show percentile.

Scouting Report · 2026 projection

Temple is in year 2 under K.C. Keeler. The way in is 132nd at holding the line of scrimmage, and they are 131st at shutting down the ground game.

Temple has not played an FBS opponent yet, so this is the projection: last season regressed toward the mean, plus returning production, recruiting, talent and whether the staff is the same one.

Projected soft spots

  • Defensethe push the line gets
    #132
    projected
  • Defensemoving the ball on the ground
    #131
    projected
  • Defenseturning trips inside the 40 into points
    #129
    projected

Each bar is where this team sits in the country. Before the season has produced enough football these are PROJECTIONS — last season regressed to the mean, plus talent, returning production, recruiting and whether the staff is the same one — and the season replaces them as it is played. Head coaches only — there is no free feed for coordinators, so on a program where the head coach does not call the offense this describes the staff he hired. Play-calling identity is a style, not a grade: throwing more than the situations warrant is not better than throwing less than they warrant.

2026 Season Projection

model win prob · 10 to play
5.86.2
projected final record (now 11)
Exp. wins left
4.8
of 10 games
Bowl odds
59%
reach 6 wins
Best odds
86%
vs Charlotte
Toughest
25%
vs South Florida

How the season could finish · 2026 · chance of each final win total · 10 games left

Every remaining game simulated from the model's win probability for it. Tallest bar is the single likeliest finish, not a prediction that it happens.

1234567891011
final winstallest bar = 27% chance
Likeliest finish 6-6 (27%)Bowl eligible 59% · marked on the axis at 6

Player Value

EPA contribution by position group + estimated NIL market value (derived from position rates and on-field production — not actual deal figures).

Unit Value — Total EPA
QBJaxon Smolik, Ajani Sheppard
+9.9 EPA
RBHunter Smith, De'Carlos Young +1
+9.6 EPA
WRJovanni Bermudez, Jayce Freeman +2
+4.9 EPA
TERyder Kusch
+1.1 EPA

Total EPA produced by each positional group this season. OL value is captured via the rush/pass efficiency of skill players; OL-specific EPA isn't separately reported.

Estimated NIL Market Value
ESTIMATED
QBJaxon Smolik
~$500K
EPA +4.50.141/play32 snaps
RBKeveun Mason
~$263K
EPA +13.70.381/play36 snaps

Estimated from position-group market rates and on-field EPA contribution. Actual NIL valuations depend on social media following, brand fit, and market negotiations — these figures are directional only.

The Five Factors

ranked vs. FBS · bar = better
Efficiency (PPA)
Off0.1945th#77
Def0.1342nd#81
Explosiveness
Off1.1531st#96
Def1.3140th#83
Field position
Off75.388th#17
Def73.342nd#80
Finishing (pts/opp)
Off3.7838th#86
Def3.1553rd#66
Turnovers
Won 3Lost 2
Margin +1

Opponent-adjusted efficiency

EPA/play vs. schedule
Offense
Defense
Off · pass
0.0312th#121
Off · rush
0.2872nd#39

Pass vs. rush (PPA)

Rushing
Off0.2872nd#40
Def0.0445th#76
Passing
Off0.0312th#121
Def0.2147th#74

Trenches & disruption

Line yards (off)
3.21#53
2nd-level / open-field
1.13 / 2.08
Power / stuff (off)
88.9% / 16.1%
Havoc — total (def)
15.3%#80
Havoc — front 7 / DB
7.9% / 7.4%

Standard vs. passing downs

Pro
Std downs
Off0.11
Def0.02
Pass downs
Off0.39
Def0.35

PPA on each down type (off vs. def).

Opponent-adjusted by down

Pro
1st2nd3rd
Offense0.13#570.32#550.18#117
Defense-0.13#500.10#710.82#120

Elo Trajectory

Rhode IslandFinal
Elo rating 13121293-19 over season

Team Fingerprint · 2026 · 31 opponent-adjusted metrics · percentile vs 138 FBS teams

Plot these →
worst in FBSbest

Efficiency

  • Offense EPA/play0.1740th
  • Defense EPA/play allowed-0.0263rd
  • Offense success rate46%50th
  • Defense success rate allowed39%46th

Downs

  • Offense success — standard downs53%61st
  • Offense success — passing downs30%37th
  • Defense success allowed — standard downs43%47th
  • Defense success allowed — passing downs32%37th

Explosiveness

  • Offense explosiveness1.136th
  • Defense explosiveness allowed1.257th
  • Offense explosiveness — standard downs0.9228th
  • Offense explosiveness — passing downs2.050th

Trenches

  • Offense line yards2.941st
  • Defense line yards allowed2.367th
  • Offense highlight yards1.773rd
  • Defense highlight yards allowed0.6850th
  • Offense power success0.8673rd
  • Defense power success allowed0.8042nd
  • Offense stuff rate0.1935th
  • Defense stuff rate0.2981st

Third down

  • Third down conversion27%15th
  • Third down distance faced6.072nd
  • Third down conversion allowed43%34th
  • Third down distance forced7.558th

Halves

  • Net success rate — first half0.1456th
  • Net success rate — second half0.0344th

Roster

  • Returning usage29%34th
  • Returning EPA96.147th
  • Team talent composite63142nd
  • Recruiting class rank68.051st
  • Recruiting class points19251st

Every metric is opponent-adjusted and ranked so that higher is always better — a defensive rate that is good when low is ranked accordingly. Sack and tackle-for-loss composition are deliberately absent: their relationship to team quality is a measured null, so they carry a style rather than a rank, and they appear in the pressure signature instead.

Intelligence Report

Offensive DNA

EPA/play
+0.194#77 · average
Pass EPA/play
+0.035#121
Rush EPA/play
+0.278#40
Explosiveness
1.149#96
Pts/opportunity
3.78#86
Success rate
45.1%

Rush efficiency edge: 0.243 EPA/play

🛡

Defensive Identity

EPA/play allowed
+0.132#81 · average
Havoc rate (total)
15.3%#80
Front-7 havoc
7.9%
DB havoc
7.4%
Big play rate allowed
1.310#83
Success rate allowed
42.0%

Disruption comes evenly from front and secondary.

📊

Season Signature

Points per game
23.5
Points allowed/game
20.5
Scoring margin/game
+3.0
Turnover margin
+1won 3 · lost 2
Production returning
37%
Talent rank (247)
#80

1-1 record through 2 games.

Team Shape · percentile vs. FBS · dashed = 50th

OFFENSE45thEXPLOSIVENESS31thFINISHING38thFIELD POS88thDEFENSE42thHAVOC42th50th100th
Offense
45th
Explosiveness
31th
Finishing
38th
Field Pos
88th
Defense
42th
Havoc
42th

Each axis = national percentile rank. 100th = best in FBS, 0th = worst. Defense and Havoc are oriented so higher = better.

CORE efficiency · situation and opponent removed

Points per 100 plays above average, after the game state is regressed out of every snap and the schedule is solved out across the whole league. The version of this team’s efficiency that can be compared to a team it never played.

Overall
-5.2
#87
Offense
-2.2
#87
Defense
+3.0
#94
Full CORE ratings →

National Landscape · 2026 FBS · offense vs. defense EPA/play

Each dot = one FBS team. Temple is highlighted. Tap or hover a dot for details.

ELITEDEF. FORTRESSOFF. POWERHOUSEREBUILDING-0.100.00+0.10+0.20+0.30-0.050.00+0.10+0.20Offensive EPA/play← worsebetter →Defensive EPA allowed/play← worsebetter →

Similar Programs

Teams with the closest offense + defense efficiency profile to Temple in 2026

by EPA/play distance
Coastal CarolinaSP+ -12.1
Off EPA/play +0.219Def EPA/play +0.125Elo 1270
Match
99%
Sam HoustonSP+ -21.5
Off EPA/play +0.168Def EPA/play +0.157Elo 1164
Match
98%
ArizonaSP+ +12.6
Off EPA/play +0.185Def EPA/play +0.169Elo 1625
Match
98%
Kent StateSP+ -27.5
Off EPA/play +0.168Def EPA/play +0.101Elo 1056
Match
98%
South FloridaSP+ -3.1
Off EPA/play +0.141Def EPA/play +0.146Elo 1679
Match
97%
New Mexico StateSP+ -15.0
Off EPA/play +0.216Def EPA/play +0.178Elo 1259
Match
97%

Similarity = normalized Euclidean distance on season offensive and defensive EPA/play. Teams within ±0.02 EPA/play on both units score >90%.

Program Trajectory · CORE rating · 20152026 · points per game vs an average FBS team

2015: +8.6, #38 of 1282016: +6.8, #40 of 1282017: -2.3, #68 of 1302018: +4.8, #45 of 1302019: +2.2, #52 of 1302020: -26.9, #122 of 1242021: -27.9, #124 of 1302022: -10.2, #100 of 1312023: -24.0, #130 of 1332024: -22.5, #127 of 1342025: -11.9, #100 of 1362026: -5.2, #87 of 138
20152026
Now -5.2 · #87 of 138Best +8.6 in 2015Worst -27.9 in 2021

Program History

recent seasons
YearOverallConfWin %xWLuck
20261-10-0
50%
1.0-0.0
20255-73-5
42%
5.1-0.1
20243-92-6
25%
2.5+0.5
20233-91-7
25%
2.8+0.2
20223-91-7
25%
4.4-1.4
20213-91-7
25%
2.1+0.9
20201-61-6
14%
1.0+0.0
20198-55-3
62%
8.1-0.1
20188-57-1
62%
7.2+0.8
20177-64-4
54%
7.1-0.1

xW = expected wins from per-game dominance. Luck = actual − expected (positive = won close games).

0.6%of 50,000 simulated 2026 seasons end with them in the field

0-0 so far, projected to finish 5.9-6.2. Wins the American Athletic in 2.6%.

If they finish with…

53%
1 loss
6.3%
2 losses
0.1%
3 losses
0%
4 losses

Their chance of making it at each final loss count. Better than even up to 1.

up 0.1 points since preseason.

  • At 1 loss they are 53% where the average American Athletic team is 52%.
  • The American Athletic takes 0.34 bids in an average season.
  • One bid goes to the best champion outside the P4. They take it in 0.6% of seasons, having won their league in 91% of those.

Temple’s own turning points

Points of playoff probability between winning and losing.

  • wk2vs Penn State4.7
  • wk13at Memphis2.7
  • wk10at Navy2.3
  • wk5at South Florida1.9
  • wk9at East Carolina1.5
  • wk4vs Army1.4

Who to root for

Games Temple is not in that move its odds most. Same units, much smaller scale.

  • wk3Arkansas State over TCU0.4
  • wk2Bowling Green over Nebraska0.3
  • wk13Charlotte over Navy0.3
  • wk9Texas State over Boise State0.3
  • wk7LSU over Mississippi State0.3
  • wk9Notre Dame over Navy0.3
The full playoff picture →

American Athletic

0-0 in league play, projected 3.7-4.39 of 14 by title odds
2.6%
Wins the American Athletic
6.0%
Reaches the title game

The American Athletic sends its top two by conference winning percentage, head-to-head breaking a tie. The last berth is level on percentage in 33% of simulated seasons, so a tiebreaker decides it about that often.

  • wk13Temple at Memphis9.4
  • wk10Temple at Navy7.5
  • wk5Temple at South Florida6.3
  • wk2Penn State at Temple6.0

Points of title probability riding on each result. The whole American Athletic race →

If not the playoff, then

55%
Bowl eligible
43%
Placed in a bowl
0.6%
In the playoff
57%
Season over in November

Temple is 1-0 and needs 5 more wins from 11 games to reach the six that make a team eligible — at most one of which may come against an FCS opponent. In 12% of seasons they get there and still go nowhere: there are more eligible teams than seats.

  • Armed Forces Bowl7.8%
  • Fenway Bowl6.6%
  • Birmingham Bowl5.7%
  • Military Bowl5.1%
  • Gasparilla Bowl5.0%
  • Myrtle Beach Bowl3.2%

Every bowl, and how each one picks →

Recruiting Pipelines

since 2010

Of the 170 high-school programs with a pipeline page here, 11 have sent Temple a player since 2010 — 33 signees between them. Where they signed, not where they were offered, and not a complete list of Temple's feeder schools: only these 170 have the outcome history to measure.

High schoolSignedDrafted
Fork Union Military AcademyVA50
St. Frances AcademyMD50
Archbishop WoodPA30
George WashingtonWV30
LakewoodFL30
Paramus CatholicNJ30
Timber CreekNJ30
Don Bosco PrepNJ21
All 170 high-school pipelines →
✓/✗ = whether our pregame model picked the winner. Win % & projections from the Gridpex model. Data: CollegeFootballData.