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One way to jump-start the final days after the so-called dead period is the tried and true recruiting practice called package deals.
The recent revival of football at Temple certainly has benefited from a form of the package deal, as the Owls have several players on their roster from the same high schools.
Many people thought that Jahad Thomas and P.J. Walker (above) were part of a package deal Temple had with the Elizabeth High (N.J.) pair. The popular thinking was that quarterback Walker, the 2012 New Jersey High School Player of the Year, was enticed to come to Temple when the Owls went after his friend, the less-recruited Thomas, a tailback. That could not have been further from the truth. The actual story was that the Owls had Walker wrapped up, and it was Walker who strongly suggested they take a look at Thomas.
The Owls liked the film, and now, both Thomas and Walker have to at least be considered candidates for the AAC Player of the Year in 2016. There are few people right now who can say which one is the better player. It’s that close between these two very good friends. Sometimes things work out that way, package deals or not. The second guy recruited out of the same school often turns out to be better than the first guy.
Archbishop Wood, a school from the Philadelphia suburbs, has also turned out to be a goldmine for the Owls, as next year’s projected starters at two positions are from that school. Colin Thompson figures to have the inside track on tight end, while Nate L. Smith could be the starting free safety. On top of that, the Owls have been twisting current Wood quarterback Anthony Russo’s arm to de-commit from Rutgers, but he has been reluctant to do so.
The closest Russo came to a Temple flip was when former Owls offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield came to visit and afterward Russo posted this tweet.
Awesome home visit with Coach Satt!🏈 @Temple_FB pic.twitter.com/qVBCksK8cO
— Anthony Russo (@Anthony_Russo15) December 10, 2015
Now Satterfield has gone to become head coach at Tennessee Tech, so Temple needs an inside guy to prod Russo and might employ Thompson and Smith to help. They could also recruit linebacker prospect and Russo teammate Sebastian Silva, who made several all-area teams as a first-team player but is not being as widely recruited. Silva could make that case to Russo from inside the walls of the same high school those two attend and, in the process, become for Temple’s future what Walker and Thomas are for Temple’s present.
Maybe in five years we won’t know who is better, Russo or Silva. If it’s the kind of debate that exists now with Walker and Thomas, it would be a nice problem for Temple to have.
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