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Temple Football: How Owls can replace Tyler Matakevich

By Tanner Sperry

Dec 22, 2015; Boca Raton, FL, USA;Temple Owls running back Jahad Thomas (left) takes the ball from quarterback P.J. Walker (right) against the Toledo Rockets in the 2015 Boca Raton Bowl at FAU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Duyos-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 22, 2015; Boca Raton, FL, USA;Temple Owls running back Jahad Thomas (left) takes the ball from quarterback P.J. Walker (right) against the Toledo Rockets in the 2015 Boca Raton Bowl at FAU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Duyos-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Temple football team is coming off its best season in school history but have a big hole to fill with the departure of Tyler Matakevich.

Temple returns most of their squad from a stellar 2015, including quarterback PJ Walker and All-American Athletic Conference running back Jahad Thomas. Out of the dozen or so open spots, Temple has to fill for 2016, the one left by Tyler Matakevich will be the toughest to replace.

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The stud linebacker won the Butkus Award as the nation’s best linebacker. He could do just about everything, from sacks to interceptions, and helped form a defensive unit that was one of the best nationwide.

Since several pieces are already in place for Temple football to do some big things next year, finding a suitable replacement for Matakevich’s spot could lead to another 10-win season. Like Matakevich, his backup last season Adeboye Aromire was a senior.

While coaches assuredly have a plan of whom to try to plug into the open linebacker spot, Jeremy Adcock assesses that “it’s almost impossible to project who will attempt to fill Matakevich’s shoes.” Temple recruited just two linebackers in  the last two classes, so chances are the replacement will come from an upper-class player.

One potential solution is to get one of the two deep in the other linebacker spots to move to the weakside and learn that position. This would most likely include either Stephaun Marshall, Avery Williams, Jared Alwan or Nick Sharga being asked to make the transition.

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Temple won’t be flying under the radar next year, so it’ll need to shore up overall to contend for the AAC; but if you had to pick one overarching need going into spring practices, it’d easily be replacing Matakevich.

Temple will hold its spring game on April 16.

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