Tag Archives: photography

02.06.26
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Main Goal of Spring Practice: Generating a pass rush

The addition of Jerry Rice Award finalist Jaylon Joseph is encouraging for the 2026 pass rush.

Every once in a while, pounding the keys to produce content for this website can be frustrating.

None more so than the last month when I had to hit the keys on this laptop 10+ times to get the letters “n, w, r and e” to appear.

Sekou Kromah (58), who bought in enough to the Temple culture to be a part of media day 2025, is gone. He would have been a valuable piece on the 2026 team if he elected to stay. Someone got in his ear and gave him bad advice.

Looked on the internet for a fix and got a can of compressed air and that only seemed to make it worse. Then someone said get “70 percent Isopropyl Alcohol” wipe the keys down and that would work.

(It didn’t.)

Took it to a shop Tuesday and they told me they could fix it for $120. They said they would have to take out each key and remove the residue, and the labor would be that much. “Geez, I don’t have that money.” Took it home and decided to pound away. (I’m on a fixed income.)

Always wondered if anyone was out there who would miss this site and then got my message from above on Thursday.

Some great Temple grad donated “roughly” the same amount of money to fix it today without even knowing my problem.

(Thanks so much to that wonderful guy who I’ve never had the pleasure to meet.)

Message from above.

This may change tomorrow but Kromah has not yet landed anywhere. He is not welcome back. He should have remained where he was.

Hopefully, K.C. Keeler asked and received the solution to his major problem the same way.

Generating a pass rush.

I don’t see it even with the new additions both Keeler and General Manager Clayton Barnes added.

Here’s why.

Temple loses edge rusher Cameron Stewart to graduating and Khalif Poteat and Sultan Badmus to this ridiculous transfer portal and followed closely the possible replacements.

Stewart will take that Temple degree and run with it, but Poteat and Badmus will land up in worse spots than Temple and probably, like most transfer portal guys, will wish they remained where they were.

Into the breach have stepped people like Jaylon Joseph of Lafayette, who was a finalist for the same Jerry Rice Award that former Temple backup quarterback Gevani McCoy won at Idaho. McCoy did nothing at Temple but would have done plenty if Evan Simon was injured (which he, thankfully, wasn’t). Joseph will wear No. 10 at Temple.

Way harder for a defensive lineman to be nominated for a Jerry Rice Award than a quarterback so maybe Barnes is onto something here.

Other possibilities in putting the bad guys’ quarterbacks on their backside include Russell Sykes (No. 52), JaMair Diaz (transfer from Sam Houston State, No. 56), Kevin Hornbeak (No. 93) and Davier Bishop (No. 97).

Diaz has receipts from performing at a high level at SHU. The others? Not so much.

Me, I prefer receipts.

Barnes and Keeler have studied that film and made their decisions.

I don’t see the same level of pass rush Temple had in 2025 with Stewart, Poteat, Badmus and Sekou Kromah but Barnes and Keeler do and that’s way more important.

Their history of turning around Sam Houston bodes very well indeed for Temple, despite how many times I had to type to get the word “indeed” to show up.

Meanwhile, we will take it to the shop tomorrow.

The defensive pass rush shop at Temple continues through Cherry and White Day and maybe even beyond.

Monday: Tricked Up

01.24.25
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Good portal news comes in threes for Owls

Owls getting the work done on Tuesday at The Edberg-Olson Football Complex.

For all of the exciting new additions in the transfer portal for Temple football since K.C. Keeler has arrived, maybe the best news is that some of the current Owls have reconsidered.

Maybe that’s the impression Keeler has fostered over his nearly two months here.

Three pretty good Temple players who entered the portal have done the Prodigal Son thing and returned to the Owls.

Khalil Poteat should be an important part of the defense in 2025.

Good news, as well as bad, comes in threes.

Joseph Auzenne, a defensive lineman who played in 10 games, was the latest to return and told OwlsDaily.com’s Shawn Pastor in a text message on Thursday he was “ready to kick ass for the Owls.”

I like the sound of that.

Countries who had citizens view Temple Football Forever in the last two days. Not shown is Saudi Arabia (one view). We need that guy to make a significant NIL contribution to Temple football.

Also, leading rusher Terrez Worthy dipped his toes in the transfer portal water and decided that it was ice cold and is back to compete for the No. 1 tailback job with Jay Ducker.

The third player who tried the portal and returned was opening day starter at left offensive tackle, Kevin Terry. When the guy the past staff trusts at the most important pass protection position on the team comes to that conclusion, it can only help.

Temple is set at quarterback with Evan Simon, a guy who can win an AAC title, and some pretty good receivers and tight ends. The linebacker room is solid and there is a pretty good group in the back end on defense.

Temple needs to replace the best placekicker in the country and that might be the toughest get.

There are still wants and needs because the offensive line should be upgraded and the defensive line has holes created by the portal, but with 11 scholarships left to dangle in the second portal window, Keeler has some currency for good players running out of options.

The portal has been, at least for the last two years, a buyer’s market with way more players in it than available scholarships. That means some really good players should shake free and fall to Temple.

Whoever does, they should be welcomed by a lot of the guys already here who have bought into this new culture.