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Father Judge guard Derrick Morton-Rivera commits to Temple

The shooting guard, who won a PCL title last year, is the first pledge in Adam Fisher’s 2026 recruiting class.

Derrick Morton-Rivera of Father Judge is the first pledge in the class of 2026 to join Temple.
Derrick Morton-Rivera of Father Judge is the first pledge in the class of 2026 to join Temple.Read moreCharles Fox / Staff Photographer

Temple landed its first pledge in the class of 2026 in shooting guard Derrick Morton-Rivera on Tuesday.

The 6-foot-4 senior, who plays for Father Judge, took an official visit to Temple this summer. He chose the Owls over La Salle and fellow American Conference member South Florida.

The three-star recruit averaged 17.2 points for the Crusaders last season while helping Father Judge earn its first Philadelphia Catholic League championship since 1998 and the first PIAA Class 6A state title in school history.

Morton-Rivera was a first-team All-Catholic League selection. He is ranked as the fifth-best player in the state, according to 247Sports.

Morton-Rivera is the son of D.J. Rivera, who played at Neumann Goretti, then in college at St. Joseph’s, Binghamton University, and University of Montevallo in Alabama.

» READ MORE: The secret to Father Judge’s historic basketball season was this grandmom in the student section

Last year, coach Adam Fisher’s Owls had the top-ranked recruiting class in the American when they signed Aiden Tobiason, Babatunde Durodola, and Dillon Battie. Morton-Rivera could have a chance to take the reins in the backcourt next season alongside Tobiason and freshman Cam Wallace.