Temple QB recruit Chris Dietrich: Recommitting to the Owls shows he’s in ‘the right spot’

The last seven months have been quite the whirlwind for Chris Dietrich, a senior quarterback at Pope John XXIII High School in Sparta, N.J.

The 6-foot-4, 215-pounder initially announced his commitment to Temple in June. At the time, Dietrich was the first class of 2024 prospect to commit to the Owls. However, shortly after the conclusion of his senior season in late November, Dietrich withdrew his commitment, citing his intention to enroll in prep school given his age. Dietrich turns 18 on Sept. 8.

Dietrich’s announcement occurred one day after Temple quarterback E.J. Warner announced his plans to enter the transfer portal. Warner’s departure to Rice generated a cloud over Temple’s future and also sparked a new position battle entering the offseason.

Two-and-a-half weeks ago, though, Dietrich announced his renewed commitment to Temple. On Wednesday, he will participate in the second national signing day for college football.

“Some things and a lot of conversations happened between my family and I,” Dietrich said in a phone interview. “It was an unexpected change. … I think me coming back is just a sign showing that I’m in the right spot and where I want to be.”

Dietrich was a two-year starter for Pope John in Sussex County, North Jersey. This past season, he completed 145 of 245 passes (59.2%) for 1,605 yards with 14 touchdowns and 13 interceptions over 10 games. He concluded his high school career with first-team All-Division and All-County honors. Selections were made by coaches from the New Jersey Super Football Conference.

Dietrich earned scholarship offers from Bucknell and Monmouth and received interest from Connecticut, Duke, and Western Michigan. He was rated as a three-star recruit by 247Sports.

“Having Chris as my quarterback has been a blessing,” Pope John coach Dominique Gaston said. “He has everything you look for in a quarterback — his height, weight, athleticism, and his maturity to grow. I wish I had him one more year because I think he’d grow so much more. I think the sky is the limit for Chris because he’s such a raw talent.”

One of Dietrich’s top highlights from his senior season included Pope John’s road win over rival DePaul Catholic. It marked the team’s first victory against DePaul in 28 years.

Pope John overcame a 14-point, first-half deficit as Dietrich completed 22 of 35 passes for 220 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also led his team with 66 rushing yards.

“It was a turning stone, getting that monkey off our back,” Gaston said of the late-October victory. “Chris showed off his athleticism with his legs, him being able to throw balls in tight windows. DePaul has two Power 5 [conference] corners, a Power 5 defensive end, a Power 5 safety. And Chris was the best player on that football field. He showed everybody how a legitimate quarterback at this level can win you games.”

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Dietrich joins a new-look quarterback room that features Rutgers transfer Evan Simon and Montana transfer Clifton McDowell, along with returnees Forrest Brock and Tyler Douglas. Among the group, McDowell appears to be the favorite to start under coach Stan Drayton.

McDowell, a 6-4, 224-pound dual-threat QB, led Montana to a 13-2 record with an appearance in the 2023 FCS national championship game. This season, he completed 160 of 274 passes (58.4%) for 2,026 yards with 13 touchdowns and four interceptions. He also rushed for 753 yards across 169 carries (4.4 average) with an additional nine rushing touchdowns.

“There’s always going to be competition wherever you go,” Dietrich said. “I’m just excited to come in and show what I’ve got because I think I can really make an impact on this team. … On the field, I have a really strong arm. I’m definitely a pocket passer. I make the hard throws in tight windows.

“On the other side of things, I’m a leader, who can pull the team together, especially in the locker room.”

Dietrich will face plenty of hurdles in earning respect from his soon-to-be new teammates and coaches. But a leader is exactly what Temple is desperately searching for.

The program has lacked direction, success, and continuity over the last several years. Since 2019, the Owls own a 15-29 record under Drayton (3-9) and former coach Rod Carey (12-20).

Despite his brief change of heart, Dietrich said he remained in touch with his main recruiter from Temple, Danny Langsdorf, the team’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Dietrich cited his relationship with Langsdorf, along with his multiple visits to campus and Lincoln Financial Field, as reasons behind his decision to recommit to the Owls.

“I’ve spent a lot of time with coach Langs,” Dietrich said. “We’ve built a really good connection, I think it’ll be a really good step forward for me to sign. ... Honestly, E.J. transferring had no effect on any of my decisions. I knew E.J. a bit, but everyone has different paths. Everyone wants different things in life, so we all need to go on our separate ways and do what’s best for us.”

Because of his enrollment in private school, Dietrich is unable to enroll at Temple early and cannot participate in the Owls’ spring workouts. He plans to arrive at campus in mid-June. Until then, Dietrich said he’ll continue to train in North Jersey. According to Dietrich, he is placing an emphasis on improving his running ability, along with his overall pocket awareness.

“I think Temple is a perfect spot for me,” he said. “The coaches seem like a great fit. They seem like coaches who can really help me excel in my game. Coach Langs, he’s really good at what he does. He’s developed some high-level guys that I think I have similar traits too. So, this is going to be a really good fit for me.”