It has been said for years that in order to win football games, a team must run the ball well and adequately defend against the run.
Of course, having the ability to bring down the opposing quarterback in the backfield occasionally does not hurt either.
Luckily for their fans, the Temple Owls and coach Matt Rhule have worked diligently to bring in quality recruits along the defensive line in recent offseasons. As a result, Temple will trot out a rather dangerous group up front in 2016, highlighted by junior defensive end Praise Martin-Oguike.
Martin-Oguike has all the physical tools necessary to be an imposing presence in the trenches. He has a good mix of size, speed and power, which usually translates to pressure on opposing signal callers.
The biggest knock on Martin-Oguike, however, is his ability to stay on the field. The powerful defender has missed some time due to injuries in his collegiate career but if he is able to stay healthy and put together a full season, a double-digit sack campaign is not out of the question.
Additionally, the Owls landed a pair of big-time recruits who could see significant playing time this year as well in Greg Webb and Karamo Dioubate.
Webb, a top defensive line recruit back in 2013, landed with a junior college after being kicked off the UNC team. Then, after committing to Rutgers, he changed his mind and signed on with Temple. He is a big-bodied bludgeoner who is ready to crack the starting rotation immediately.
Dioubate may be the most intriguing lineman on the team, though. A four-star recruit, he has the ability to play at any spot along the line, and chose Temple over larger programs such as Penn State, South Carolina and Alabama.
“He can play outside and has the size to play inside,” Rhule said in an interview with Philly.com’s Marc Narducci. “He runs like a 215-pound kid and is an elite athlete.”
If Temple chooses not to redshirt him this season, Dioubate could quickly become a valuable member in the line’s rotation.
Rounding out the defensive line are solid players in Averee Robinson, Haason Reddick and Sharif Finch. Each of these guys saw action in double-digit games in 2015 and helped Temple field one of the nation’s top defenses.
After a handful of defensive players moved on from the team through graduation and the NFL draft following last year, Temple is fortunate to maintain a sense of continuity on the front lines.
And if this group performs up to its potential, 2016 could see another special season in Philadelphia.
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