Temple quietly went shopping for beef this offseason, and the headline addition is Ransom McDermott, a Louisville transfer who slots in at offensive tackle and anchors a line that's undergoing real turnover. Evan Simon returns as the starting quarterback, which matters given the portal churn around him — Tyler Douglas left for undeclared destinations, and Penn State's Jaxon Smolik arrived as insurance rather than a threat to the job. The bigger losses are on the perimeter: Xavier Irvin (5.3 PPA) and Terrez Worthy, who took his 3.6 PPA to Maryland, leaving Joey Schlaffer, a tight end pulled in from Penn State, as the top offensive weapon addition. JP+ pegs this roster as roughly average on both sides of the ball, with the defense trending below that line even though its returning pieces are more stable than the offense's. The line reset, thin target continuity, and a defense that lacks a signature identity make this a group with real questions in the trenches even as the skill-position pieces settle in.

JP+ projects 6.1 wins, a number that lines up with a team still figuring out its receiving corps and offensive front while trusting a defense that didn't lose much but also didn't show it can carry the team. Penn State, Navy, and South Florida stand out as the toughest tests, while home dates with UAB, Charlotte, and Rhode Island offer the clearest paths to bowl eligibility. If McDermott stabilizes the line quickly and Schlaffer becomes a real weapon for Simon, Temple's offense could push the ceiling toward eight wins. If the trenches take time to gel and the defense doesn't find answers, a season closer to five or six wins is the more likely outcome.