A new era has begun on 10th and Diamond, as Temple Football kicked off its first spring practice period under head coach K.C. Keeler on March 11. The Owls will practice three times a week over the next month, leading up to the annual Cherry & White Spring Game on Saturday, April 12.
This space will serve as a daily blog, highlighting the top plays from each practice and providing access to all media availability video links.
The Owls opened spring ball on Tuesday afternoon, holding the first of their15allotted practices on a warm March day. Temple spent a large portion of the practice in individual position drills before transitioning to team periods.
In the 7-on-7 portion of practice, wide receiver Antonio Jones made the play of the day, securing a bullet pass from quarterback Patrick Keller up the seam for a large gain. Sophomore Jamar Taylor Jr. added a 20-yard reception, also delivered from Keller.
During 11-on-11 drills, both sides of the ball had impressive moments, though the defense gained the early edge. Defensive backs Zyil Powell and Omar Ibrahim started this, shooting through gaps on back-to-back plays to make stops for short gains. Sophomore defensive lineman Sultan Badmus then recorded a would-be sack, while transfer cornerback Jaylen Castleberry added a pass break-up on a deep shot.
The offense responded with some big plays of its own, starting withtransferrunning back Jay Ducker, who found openings on consecutive runs for significant gains. Fellow running back Johnny Martin followed suit with a quick burst, breaking free for a 20-yard rush. Wide receiver Xavier Irvin then turned a short pass into a 15-yard gain, making a sharp cut to evade multiple defenders. The defense ended on a high, however, asfreshmancornerback Devontae Ward-Grant sealed practice with a leaping interception.
Thursday, March 11The Owls continued spring ball on Thursday afternoon at Edberg-Olson Hall.
During 7-on-7 drills, wide receivers Antonio Jones and Kian Johnson each hauled in crossing routes for 15-yard gains.
The majority of the highlights came during the 40 minutes of 11-on-11 play. Defensive lineman Sultan Badmus continued his strong start to the spring, recording two sacks in the opening plays. Fifth-year senior Ben Osueke then hauled in an interception—the first of three for the Owls' defense. Redshirt freshman Adrian Laing accounted for the other two, including a pick-six.
Offensive highlights included quarterback Evan Simon threading the needle between defenders to find tight end Daniel Evert for a 25-yard gain.Wide receiver Kajiya Hollawayne ran a sharp comeback route that picked up 20 yards, while running back Darius Morant showed quickness on a 20-yard run. The best catch of the day came from wide receiver Xavier Bryan-Boothe, who secured a contested grab against two defenders on the second-to-last play of practice.
Saturday, March 15
Temple's third practice was the first in shoulder pads, making it the Owls' most physical day of spring practice yet.
Both sides of the ball delivered standout plays during the first 11-on-11 period of the day. Quarterback Evan Simon connected with wide receiver Xavier Irvin for a 45-yard deep ball—the offense's most explosive play of the day. Running backs Joquez Smith and Darius Morant followed with 20-yard runs, while fellow back Jordan Miller added a 15-yard reception from quarterback Anthony Chiccitt. On defense, linebackers London Hall and Aiden Britton each recorded a tackle for loss, and cornerback Devontae Ward-Grant showcased his strength with an impressive pass breakup.
In 7-on-7, Simon placed a perfect pass to wide receiver Kian Johnson for a 35-yard gain. Meanwhile, on the other side of the field during inside run drills, defensive end Cam'Ron Stewart wreaked havoc with multiple tackles for loss.
During the final team drills of the day, the defense took control, starting with outside linebacker Tyrese Whitaker breaking through the line for a three-yard loss. Safety Ihsim Smith-Marsette followed with a pass breakup in one-on-one coverage before outside linebacker Willy Love delivered the defensive play of the day—an interception that had the entire defensive sideline fired up.
The Owls will return to practice on Tuesday to kick off the second week of spring ball.
Tuesday, March 18
The Owls took the field under yet another sunny sky on Tuesday afternoon for the fourth practice of the spring,
During 7-on-7 drills, tight end Reese Clark hauled in a 20-yard pass across the middle from quarterback Anthony Chiccitt. Clark later would cap off practice with an impressive one-handed catch. On the defensive side, safety Javier Morton showed off his strength breaking up a pass by ripping the ball out of the receiver's hands.
During team periods, the offense opened with multiple explosive plays. Quarterback Patrick Keller connected with wide receiver Xavier Bryan-Boothe on a deep ball for a 40-yard gain, then found Kian Johnson for another 40-yard completion. Quarterback Evan Simon also impressed, highlighted by a perfectly placed 30-yard pass to wide receiver Antonio Jones.
On defense, linebacker Reggie Jones recorded an early sack, while defensive tackle Aaron Beckwith racked up multiple run stops for no gain.
Thursday, March 20Temple continued spring practices on Thursday at Edberg-Olson Hall.
In 7-on-7 action, wide receiver Kajiya Hollawayne showcased his athleticism with a leaping 10-yard grab. He followed it up shortly after with a 15-yard catch on a sharp comeback route. On the defensive side, cornerback Denzel Chavis made a strong play in one-on-one coverage, making a stop for no gain.
During team drills, the defense flew around the field making impact plays. Defensive tackle Sekou Kromah and defensive end Cam'Ron Stewart teamed up for a run stop behind the line, while linebacker Reggie Jones added a tackle for loss. The defensive front remained active in the pass game as well, with multiple passes tipped at the line of scrimmage. Eventually, one deflection landed in the hands of linebacker Eric Stuart, who took the interception back for a touchdown.
The offense had its share of big plays, with the most impressive coming from tight end Landon Morris. He hauled in a pass up the seam from quarterback Evan Simon, made a move on the defender, and took it to the end zone for a 45-yard touchdown. Other highlights included quarterback Anthony Chiccitt scrambling for a pair of 10-yard gains and tight end Ryder Kusch picking up 15 yards on a catch-and-run.
Saturday, March 22
Temple took the field in full pads for Saturday's practice, which featured the first live tackling of the spring.
The intensity was evident from the start, as the first special teams period of the day was highly competitive. Running back Jordan Miller set the tone with a massive block on punt coverage, firing up the entire team.
The intensity carried over into the first and only live tackling team period of practice. Linebacker Tyrese Whitaker set the tone early, slicing through the offensive line for a sack, followed by cornerback Devontae Ward-Grant making an impressive open-field tackle.
Offensively, the tight ends were heavily involved from the start. Quarterback Evan Simon connected with the group on three consecutive plays, beginning with a 15-yard gain by Daniel Evert. Landon Morris and Ryder Kusch followed with receptions, helping the offense move the chains three times. To cap off the period, running back Jay Ducker made a sharp cut to evade a defender, breaking free for a 20-yard gain.
Saturday also featured the first 1-on-1 drills between wide receivers and defensive backs. Receiver John Adams delivered the play of the day, showcasing sharp route running before hauling in a 45-yard deep ball from quarterback Evan Simon. Shortly after, quarterback Patrick Keller connected with Kajiya Hollawayne on a perfectly placed over-the-shoulder throw for a 35-yard gain.
The final period of practice saw several standout defensive plays. Linebacker Willy Love intercepted a pass that was tipped at the line of scrimmage, and just a few plays later, safety Zyil Powell jumped a route for another interception. Defensive tackle Sekou Kromah added a sack before the offense closed practice on a high note with a 25-yard gain by wide receiver Antonio Jones, thanks to a series of well-executed blocks on the outside.
Tuesday, March 25
Tuesday marked the start of the third week of spring practice for the Owls.
In 7-on-7, safety Javier Morton set the tone early with a big hit on running back Jay Ducker, who impressively held on to the ball for a short gain. Quarterback Evan Simon then connected with wide receivers Antonio Jones and Kajiya Hollawayne for 20-yard gains to close out the period.
Meanwhile, inside run drills took place on the other end of the field. Defensive end Brandon Enarusai shed a block to record a tackle-for-loss, followed shortly by linebacker Jordan Montgomery and defensive lineman Yamael Wiggins teaming up for another TFL.
During team periods, the defense continued to stand out. Linebacker Tyrese Whitaker set the tone early, bursting through the line to register a tackle for no gain on the first play. Shortly after, linebacker Willy Love delivered a strong open-field hit, and defensive tackle Joseph Auzenne added a sack. Offensively, the highlight of the day came when wide receiver Kian Johnson turned a slant from Simon into a 45-yard touchdown.
