Owls add quarterback depth with Washington State transfer Ajani Sheppard
Temple has added more depth to its quarterback room with the commitment of former Rutgers and Washington State signal caller Ajani Sheppard, who announced his decision Sunday morning.
A rising redshirt-junior with two seasons of eligibility remaining, Sheppard played sparingly during his first two seasons at Rutgers and did not appear in a game this fall at Washington State. Temple recruited Sheppard last year before he entered the portal and picked the Cougars.
Sheppard made his collegiate debut as a true freshman in 2023 and saw some late snaps in the Scarlet Knights’ blowout win over Wagner, completing both of his passes for 23 yards and logging a 10-yard run. He later redshirted after that lone appearance.
Sheppard opted to enter the NCAA’s transfer portal after a 2024 season in which he played in four games, but once again in backup duty. He competed for the starting job last summer at Washington State but started the season as the fourth-string quarterback behind starter Jaxon Potter, second-stringer Julian Dugger and third-stringer Zevi Eckhaus, who eventually grabbed the starting spot. Sheppard never made it past the No. 3 spot on the Cougars’ depth chart.
At New Rochelle’s Iona Prep, Sheppard was the first Power 5 quarterback recruit from New York’s Westchester County in 28 years after throwing for 2,393 yards and 21 touchdowns while completing 62% (150-of-242) of his passes. He also tallied 1,291 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns while averaging 9.1 yards per carry. Sheppard initially committed to Old Dominion before flipping to Rutgers in November following the conclusion of his senior season at Iona Prep.
Temple will enter the 2026 season with six scholarship quarterbacks on its roster following Sheppard’s commitment. Former Penn State backup Jaxon Smolik announced his commitment to the Owls Saturday, and head coach K.C. Keeler signed three high school quarterbacks last month in Mooresville (NC) High School’s Brody Norman, St. Thomas Aquinas (FL) High School’s Brady Palmer and St. Joseph Regional (NJ) High School’s Lamar Best, with Norman and Palmer set to enroll this month in time for spring practice. Camren Boykin, a member of Temple’s 2025 recruiting class, will return as a redshirt freshman after not playing this season.
