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Temple continues preparing for football season opener Sept. 2

Two weeks into training camp, the Owls held their first open practice since March 2020.

D'Wan Mathis played for Georgia last season. Now, he will likely will be Temple's starting quarterback.
D'Wan Mathis played for Georgia last season. Now, he will likely will be Temple's starting quarterback.Read moreMichael Woods / AP

Special teams coordinator Brett Diersen shouted in the rain, “Set the tone, it’s the mindset!” as Temple football players began their warm-up drills Friday morning at Edberg-Olson Hall.

Two weeks into training camp, the Owls held their first open practice since March 2020. Plenty new faces were taking first-team reps at midfield, including starting quarterback D’Wan Mathis.

» READ MORE: Temple backfield continues to search for the sweet spot in its committee approach

Mathis, who transferred to Temple after playing for Georgia last season, and receiver Jadan Blue, lined up first to work on passing drills. Even in the rain, Mathis quickly elevated his arm and got the ball off.

Running backs Edward Saydee and Tayvon Ruley also lined up with Mathis during run-pass-option drills.

Mathis ran plays with Blue in the slot and receiver Randle Jones on the outside. In a three-on-three drill, Mathis threw a deep pass to Jones for a touchdown.

Freshman quarterback Justin Lynch took reps with the second string, which included freshman receiver Malik Cooper. The backup quarterback position is still undecided, but Lynch could be a candidate for the job.

Lynch looked comfortable during run-pass-option drills and proved he has the athleticism to work with receivers like redshirt sophomore Jose Barbon, with whom Lynch connected on a 20-yard pass in a three-on-three drill.

» READ MORE: Temple has a new quarterback with big-time playmaking skills. The coaches are excited about him

Quarterback Mariano Valenti was seen playing third string, and Re-al Mitchell, who played in three games last season, was the fourth-string quarterback.

The defensive and offensive lines practiced in the end zone, and freshman offensive lineman Bryce Thoman worked with the first team as a center, the position typically occupied by graduate CJ Perez, who is returning for his sixth year of college football.

“He’s been getting a lot of good work, he’s played center, he’s played guard for us,” said offensive line coach Joe Tripodi. “A younger guy [who] really has a lot of trajectory to where he’s heading in his football development.”

Freshman defensive tackle Nick Bags played with the first team. Defensive line coach Walter Stewart said he could run an eight-to-10-man rotation on game day.

Defensive backs DaeSean Winston, Freddie Johnson, and Cameron Ruiz, who recently transferred from Northwestern, were taking first-team reps in full-squad scrimmages.

The Owls have two weeks of training camp left before their season opener against Rutgers on Sept. 2.