Temple’s recruiting focus: Speed Kills

Tylik Mitchell is expected to make some kind of immediate impact for the 2026 Owls on offense and special teams.

Lose a Hollawayne, gain a Holloway.

Kajiya Hollawayne was a productive receiver for the Temple football Owls a year ago, starting all 12 games including a spectacular nine-catch, 149-yard game against Navy. He ran out of eligibility, leaving the Owls look for a speed receiver on the edge.

Pretty impressive offer list for Kamari Hollaway.

Temple gained a “Holloway” recently, grabbing highly thought of North Carolina running back Kamari Holloway from Southern Durham (N.C.) High School, right under the noses of East Carolina, which offered him a full scholarship last year.

Holloway has four years of eligibility left.

He was the second “athlete” recruit with speed from North Carolina that K.C. Keeler and his coaching staff have recruited and both have something in common.

Blinding speed.

Hollaway has clocked a 4.48 in the 40-yard dash, which, in terms of measurables compares favorably to former Owl superstar back Bernard Pierce, whose NFL combine time in the 40 was 4.55. So Hollaway is a full seven tenths of a second faster in the 40 than Pierce was the year after he scored 25 touchdowns for the Owls and became a third-round NFL draft choice.

Mitchell, who should compete for a wide receiver job for the Owls this season, also was a former running back out of North Carolina’s Southern Nash High School. His measurable comparison to Pierce was that he ran a 10.7 100-meter dash in high school. Pierce’s 10.8 in the same event was enough to win the PIAA state indoor title as a senior at Glen Mills.

Both Hollaway and Mitchell both put up good football numbers as well. Hollaway had 122 carries for 1,420 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2025. Mitchell, also playing running back, had 1,866 and 21 touchdowns during his senior season in 2034.

Kamari Hollaway.

So the Owls plucked not only two great athletes out of North Carolina, but two of the fastest guys in that state.

The Owls looked a little slow against some of the better teams in the league last year. Going forward, it appears they are determined to win their share of foot races, which usually means getting to the goal line faster than the bad guys.

Friday: How Others See Temple

4 thoughts on “Temple’s recruiting focus: Speed Kills

  1. TUFB definitely has some recruiting momentum. The Owls must do two things to sustain the momentum.

    One, finish with a winning record followed by a bowl win. Nothing sells the program better than winning, and getting postseason reps is invaluable for freshmen.

    Two, some freshmen must play during the year. Keeler has stated he would rather redshirt everyone. Let there be room for modification. IMHO, let some kids play if they are physically able and have talent. Use the ability to get on the field as a recruiting tool.

    • This year reminds me a lot of the 2013 year when Connor Reilly beat out bowl-winning QB Chris Coyer, who was switched to tight end. I thought that was a bad move but fortunately Matt Rhule didn’t compound that rookie mistake by continuing to play Reilly. Halfway through the season he allowed true freshman P.J. Walker to play and throw 20 TDs vs. 8 interceptions. I hope the kid from Iowa (if he beats out Sheppard) is Evan Simon 2.0 but I don’t see it right now. Fortunately, there is a guy with more talent than P.J. Walker waiting in the wings.

      • Across the board the 2026 team could be the most talented TUFB in the last 6 or 7 years minus one position…,

        Keeler seems to have a foot in the ground reference playing freshmen. Let’s hope it’s conviction over stubbornness.

        IMHO the Temple NIL strategy for the QB position is flawed. The market demands a change for teams like Temple. Use all available to get the best player available. Don’t split it up into 1A, 1B. Use your depth and bench for the backup spot. Temple paid for two QBs who couldn’t start for URI.

        We’ll see what Best can do. Does he have the arm strength, or a college football body?

  2. Best was engaged on Cherry and White day, hanging right by Tyler Walker and K.C. Keeler. I liked the fact that they were talking to him about situations and plays even though he was on the sidelines. The body language told me a lot about those three and the future. I’m glad I went to Cherry and White even though the $100 “speeding” ticket at 41 mph set me back.

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