Evan Simon became a true starting QB in his final year of college, and it’s a year he won’t forget.

If someone were to ask Evan Simon how the 2025 season went, his answer would be simple — the best of his college football career. Why? He finally had an opportunity.

The quarterback’s collegiate career started at Rutgers in 2020. He spent four seasons playing backup in New Brunswick. He transferred to Temple with two years of eligibility remaining — and the chance to be a starter.

“It’s taken me six years, and for each game I traveled, whether I was at Rutgers [or] Temple and I played or didn’t play, I had one family member there,” Simon said. “My mom drove to Ann Arbor, Michigan, when I was a third string or whatever. This just had to be the year that I gave myself a chance and it was just a matter of doing whatever it took.”

» READ MORE: Evan Simon wanted to change Temple’s trajectory in football. He’s devoted time to make it happen.

It wasn’t easy. At Temple, there were quarterback battles and a coaching change that stood in the way of achieving his goal, but he did it. Simon’s career came to a close when Temple lost to North Texas on Nov. 30, and while the 5-7 Owls fell short of a bowl game, it was Simon who helped usher in a new era of Temple football.

“I’ve had a shaky career. It’s taken six years for me to start the first game of the year,” said Simon, who threw for 2,097 yards and 25 touchdowns, while having just two interceptions this season. “It’s been quite the journey. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.”

Simon doesn’t like to talk a lot about what happened at Rutgers.

The Manheim Central High graduate joined the team in 2020. Much of his time with the Scarlet Knights was spent on the sideline, prompting him to enter the transfer portal in 2023.

The options were limited, but one school stuck out: Temple, which had lost quarterback EJ Warner, who transferred to Rice.

“I had two other schools that were pretty interested, but they were lower level than Temple,” Simon said. “I had a great conversation with [former Temple coach Stan Drayton], he made me laugh. I talked with the offensive coordinator. They both seemed like great people. I just put my trust in Temple as a whole.”

He competed with Forrest Brock, Temple’s third-string quarterback in 2023. Brock won the job and started the first two games. The door cracked for Simon when Brock injured his wrist against Navy on Sept. 7. Simon started the next game against Coastal Carolina.

Temple nearly defeated the Chanticleers, but Simon had his coming out party the following week against Utah State. He threw five touchdowns in a 45-29 comeback win against the Aggies. Simon would start every game but one for the rest of the season.

“That whole transfer portal window was not easy ... You’d like to think your position is safe, but it’s never safe.”

Temple, however, finished 3-9, and Drayton was fired before the season ended. Temple then hired K.C. Keeler, who opened up the quarterback position. Simon was considering entering the portal again.

“That whole transfer portal window was not easy, especially when you know coaches are telling you about guys who they are recruiting,” Simon said. “You’d like to think your position is safe, but it’s never safe. They brought two other senior quarterbacks in during this whole past year. It’s always in the back of your head.”

Former Oregon State quarterback Gevani McCoy joined Temple in April, prompting yet another competition for Simon. This time was different. Simon was going to do anything to earn his job back, he said.

“I would study [McCoy], in a sense,” Simon said. “I’d study how many notes is he taking, how hard is he working in the weight room, how he interacts with teammates. I said this toward the end of the year, but bringing in two other quarterbacks and the competition during camp was by far the best thing that happened to me.”

He began doing things he had never done before, like sleeping in Edberg-Olson Hall. Simon was becoming a leader on the team.

Keeler took notice too, and named Simon the starter . He threw a career-high six touchdowns in the season-opener against UMass on Aug. 30, while McCoy filled the backup role.

“Chance is all we need,” Simon said. “I think Coach Keeler is a big part of it as well. He kind of forced me to be in some of those uncomfortable situations where it’s talking to the team or just things where you’re being forced to talk more.”

When Simon walked off the field against North Texas, it signified multiple things.

Temple lost its fourth straight game, missing a chance at a bowl game. But for Simon, it was the final game of his college career.

But it won’t be the last time he picks up a football.

The chance of being drafted isn’t high, Simon said, but he hopes to get a camp or workout invite from an NFL team. He signed with an agent at the end of this season and will spend the winter and spring training to prepare for Temple’s Pro Day.

“These next couple months are all unknown,” Simon said. “I’m just going to try to stay in the moment and make the most of it when the time comes.”

» READ MORE: First-year coach K.C. Keeler is committed to Temple, Philly, and his ‘grandpa’ dance moves

Simon’s journey was filled with twist and turns, and despite getting one year as a true starter at Temple, Simon says he wouldn’t change a thing because he believes that he left an impact on the Owls’ program.

“This is a group of guys, where they’re harder on themselves than their coaches are on them from a care factor,” Simon said. “We won five games and we lost two games by a total of two points, and we played five ranked opponents. And, damn, we played hard, even in blowout losses. I think you give Keeler another year, baby, here we go.”