Kingsway LB Zach Schneider commits to Temple

Zach Schneider, a ball-hawking linebacker for South Jersey’s Kingsway Regional High, has made an oral commitment to attend Temple. The 6-foot, 210-pound Schneider made his commitment on Twitter.

Schneider said that he will be joining the program as a preferred walk-on.

“I know they didn’t have a scholarship for me, but I am just going to work hard and concentrate on improving my game,” Schneider said in a phone interview.

Temple has a history of preferred walk-ons turning into scholarship players. One of the most recent examples was offensive lineman Vincent Picozzi, who earned a scholarship within a year of entering the program as a walk-on.

Picozzi eventually started 34 games for Temple before leaving for Colorado State after this past season as a graduate transfer.

Schneider is the second player from Kingsway to join the Temple program in two seasons. This past season, Alex Odom saw considerable playing time as a freshman safety. Odom appeared in all seven games for the 1-6 Owls, starting the last three. He finished with 15 tackles. Schneider said he was in constant contact with Odom about the Temple program.

“Temple is a big school in my family, with a lot of alumni in my family,” Schneider said. “I asked Alex a lot of questions how Temple was and he told me how much he has enjoyed it there and how much fun he is having.”

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Kingsway played only five games this season but Schneider had 44 tackles, averaging 8.8 per contest.

“He was a two-time captain and was all over the field on defense,” Kingsway coach Mark Hendricks said of Schneider. “He’s a dynamite kid who comes from a great family. He leads by example and I think Temple is really going to enjoy having him in the program.”