Make or Break? Temple Alum Quentin Johnston’s Crucial Season with the Chargers
One of Texas' greatest gifts to the world is professional football players. Seriously. Annually, Texas produces more NFL players than any other state in the country. According to the latest study from Lineups, Texas has 304 players currently in the NFL.
And Temple is definitely part of NFL pipeline. Just talking about Temple High, not any other area schools, they have put 21 total players and one coach into the pros. And, currently, there's 3 players from the area active in the NFL - Jared Wiley, Ta'Quon Graham, and Quentin Johnston.
And going into the NFL season, it appears that Temple native Quentin Johnston could be on the verge of a break out season.
Temple High Alum Looks to Add Firepower to Chargers
Quentin Johnston, who went to high school at Temple High and attended college at TCU, was a 1st round draft pick for the LA Chargers in 2023.
His rookie year, despite getting into every game, was a little lackluster - only making 38 receptions for 431 yards and 2 touchdowns. His 2nd year in the NFL was better - racking up 55 receptions for 711 yards and 8 TDs.
With Justin Herbert at QB, the Jim Harbaugh led Chargers are poised to make a deep playoff push. And, it's looking like Johnston is expected to be a major weapon moving forward - he's currently listed as the #2 receiver in the offense playing opposite of Ladd McConkey.
Is This a 'Make or Break' Season for the Temple Alumni?
In his first 2 years in the NFL, Quentin has shown flashes of greatness. However, he has yet to put all the pieces together. And this season, the Chargers have a lot of talent at the wideout position - Tre Harris, Joshua Palmer, DJ Chark and Keenan Allen, just to name a few.
A lot of football experts are calling the 2025 season his last chance to earn a spot long term on the team. At 6-4, 215 pounds, Johnston is a freak of nature and the exact kind of guy Jim Harbaugh loves. However, potential only gets you so far before you're expected to produce at a high level.
Last year, he showed signs that he can be 'the guy'. However, will it be enough to receive regular playing time? Only time will tell. On the depth chart, it appears he's going to get a chance. However, a bad game or two could lead to him to the bench or the trade block.
Quentin Johnston's Impact as a Temple Wildcat
His full high school stats aren't available online, but clearly he was on heck of a player. He was a highly touted prospect coming out of High School and was the 18th ranked Wide Receiver by 247Sports in his draft class. Clearly, the Chargers were high on him, taking him in the 1st round with the 21st pick of the 2023 draft.
He was also a 2 sport athlete who was also excelled at basketball averaging 13.7 PPG and 6.9 rebounds according to Max Preps.
Quentin Johnston clearly has all the tools - as he showed in high school and college. The biggest question now is can he find a way to showcase that skill set on the biggest stage in American sports?
We'll find out soon as the Chargers kickoff their against the Kansas City Chiefs Friday night at 7 pm.
30 famous people you might not know were college athletes
Gallery Credit: Sophia Crisafulli