Section 215
Fansided

Temple Owls Football Players That Are Set To Have Big Seasons

By George Kondoleon

Oct 29, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats safety Tyrell Gilbert (2) pulls the ball away from Temple Owls wide receiver Keith Kirkwood (89) to cause a fumble during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 29, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats safety Tyrell Gilbert (2) pulls the ball away from Temple Owls wide receiver Keith Kirkwood (89) to cause a fumble during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Temple Owls are heading into a transition year under new head coach Geoff Collins, but there are players that can help ease the rocky road.

The Temple Owls have seen one of their best stretches of football under former head coach Matt Rhule. Although his breakaway to Baylor came as a shock, it was expected that eventually Rhule would take a bigger job. Alas, the Owls will head into 2017 with a new coach, an average recruiting class, and unsettled expectations.

New head coach Geoff Collins will have quite the challenge heading into this new venture. With one of those challenges being finding a new quarterback, the Temple Owls could see a slight drop off from their prominent season last year. Temple even with the loss of key players like Haason Reddick, Jahad Thomas, and Philip Walker, have playmakers that can help impact the game in a huge way.

Keith Kirkwood, Wide Receiver

Kirkwood had his breakout last season, as he solidified himself as one of Philip Walker’s top targets. Kirkwood racked up four touchdowns last season, two of them in a blowout win over Stony Brook. The strong, big wideout will try to make himself more of a scoring target this year. And with the quarterback race still open, Kirkwood may have to create more opportunities himself than he did last season.

More from Temple Owls

Look for Kirkwood to become an even more impactful player next to dangerous threat to Ventell Bryant, as the two will open up space for whomever takes the quarterback position next.

Ryquell Armstead, Running Back

Armstead bursted onto the scene as a Sophomore last season. Surprisingly taking away carries from star running back Jahad Thomas, Armstead was able to amass 919 yards on 156 rushing attempts. The running game will play a huge role this season, especially with established linemen still in place for the Temple Owls. With Thomas out of the picture, Armstead’s potential this season is through the roof.

Although he doesn’t quite bring the catch-passing threat out of the backfield that Thomas did, Armstead’s explosiveness on the ground is set to lead the Temple Owls offense.

Sean Chandler, Cornerback

Sean Chandler is one of the more experienced defensive players remaining on the Temple Owls roster. The cornerback has continued to show improvement with each season and is set to have himself a huge season. Profiled by ESPN’s Kevin Negandhi, Chandler spent much of his teenage years “in and out of homeless shelters“. Chandler’s story has been incredible, and it’s about to get even more Cinderella-like.

Chandler recorded 30 solo tackles in ten games, fighting through a knee injury for most of October. But Chandler’s skill at the corner position could make him a marquee player for this young Temple Owls defense.

These players are set to make a huge jump in 2017, and are hopeful to mask some of the weaknesses the Owls have heading into the season. A bowl game is once again in sight, but the road is seemingly rockier.

Home/Temple Owls