Will Temple football see progress in 2022 after sharp decline?

Temple football is looking to shed those few years of decline with a new set of coaches and new positive hindsight going into the 2022 season.

It seemed like it wasn’t long ago that the Temple Owls were one of the top football teams in the AAC and the Group of Five. The Owls were solid in the 2010s as they accumulated an overall record of 72-55 (47-32 in conference play). As the turn of the 2020s and COVID-19 affected college football, the Owls found themselves in a difficult situation. They accounted for a 4-15 (2-13 in conference play) over the past two seasons.

After starting his coaching career at Temple on a high note, head coach Rod Carey found himself and the team regressing. Athletic director Arthur Johnson decided to fire Carey after two seasons of continuous regressing. Texas associate head coach and running back coach Stan Drayton was hired to revitalize the football program.

Drayton has a lot to address with the team as they need to find efficient starters and solidity on both sides of the ball. The good news with Drayton as the new head coach of the Owls is that they have already seen a boost in recruiting the 2022 class compared to 2021.

Going into the 2021 season, the Owls signed the 111th-ranked recruiting class in the nation. The Owls finished the 2022 class with the 86th ranked group and added valuable transfers as well. These players will contend for a starting role or provide immediate impact.

Coach Drayton has shown impressive results of a significant turnaround before coaching a regular-season game. There is, however, a lot of work to do for the Owls to get back in contention for an AAC title.