National signing day: Temple adds 12 players in the late period, completing coach Stan Drayton’s first class

Temple football coach Stan Drayton said he wouldn’t build the team’s culture around the transfer portal, instead expecting to use it based on need and focus on recruiting.

Drayton, who was hired on Dec. 15, has spent the last two months evaluating the team’s depth and combing through available players.

“That was the toughest part,” Drayton said. “Getting off to such a late start and seeing what was available to fit the needs and profile we were looking for to fit our system. But at the end of the day, you press play, you look at instincts, size and growth potential.”

Only three high school recruits — Sam Martin Jr. (safety), Jackson Pruitt (offensive lineman) and Corey Yeoman (linebacker) — signed national letters of intent on the early signing day.

Temple had 12 players sign national letters of intent Wednesday. Seven high schoolers and five transfers from the portal — three coming from JUCO schools — joined the Owls’ recruiting class. Here’s a look at who signed with Temple.

Elijah Warner: The son of Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner, Elijah is a three-star recruit from Brophy College Preparatory school in Phoenix. The 6-foot, 200-pounder threw for 2,742 yards and 26 touchdowns, completing 288 of 446 passes as a senior.

Darvon Hubbard: A redshirt sophomore transfer from Texas A&M, Hubbard played in two games last season and made his college debut in 2020 against South Carolina. The 6-foot, 210-pound running back was a three-star recruit from Willow Canyon High in Surprise, Ariz. In his senior year, he averaged 6.9 yards per carry and had eight touchdowns on the ground.

Reese Clark: The 6-4, 200-pound tight end is a three-star recruit from St. Joseph’s Prep. Clark originally played wide receiver at the Prep, where he helped the Hawks to back-to-back Class 6A state titles in 2019-20.

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Aaron Jones: Jones is a three-star recruit from Springfield (Mass.) Central High. At 6-foot, 285 pounds, he was a three-time first-team all-state honoree and earned first-team all-conference during all of his four seasons. Jones had offers from three other schools, including Nevada and Colorado State.

Zamar Grove: At Irvington High in New Jersey, Grove played defensive end and tight end. The 6-6 edge rusher totaled 12½ sacks and helped lead Irvington to its first sectional championship.

Elijah Deravil: The 6-1, 200-pound defensive back is a JUCO redshirt sophomore transfer from Garden City (Kan.) Community College. Deravil played in eight games, totaled 20 tackles, and had two interceptions with the Broncbusters.

Dominick Hill: Hill is a redshirt freshman transfer from South Carolina. During his freshman season, he played cornerback but was moved to safety. The three-star recruit from Jones High in Orlando, Fla., played in 12 games and made six tackles this season for South Carolina.

Jacob Hollins: Hollins is a JUCO transfer, also from Garden City Community College. The 6-1, 225-pound linebacker spent his freshman season at Illinois, where he played in eight games, primarily on special teams. He played 11 games last season at linebacker for Garden City, notching 56 tackles and two sacks.

Darrien Lewis: The 6-2, 230-pound Lewis is from St. Frances Academy in Baltimore. Lewis played at DeMatha Catholic in Washington before transferring to St. Frances for his senior year.

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London Hall: The three-star recruit from Clearwater (Fla.) Catholic High is a 6-2, 210-pounder. During his senior season, he had 61 tackles, three interceptions, and three kick returns for touchdowns.

Antwone Santiago: Santiago is a 6-3, 210-pounder from Platt High in Meriden, Conn. Also playing wide receiver in his senior year, he totaled 31 catches for 492 yards and five touchdowns.

Tra Thomas: A sophomore transfer from Independence (Kan.) Community College, the 6-4, 224-pound recorded 39 tackles, two sacks, and one interception with the Pirates. Prior to college, Thomas played tight end and outside linebacker at Old Mill High in Millersville, Md.