Report: Kurt Warner's Son E.J. to Make 1st Career Start at QB for Temple vs. Rutgers

Temple quarterback E.J. Warner, the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame QB Kurt Warner, will reportedly make his first college start Saturday against Rutgers.

ESPN's Pete Thamel reported Warner will replace D'Wan Mathis, who was benched after losing two fumbles during last week's 30-14 win over Lafayette.

Warner, a true freshman, excelled in relief of Mathis against the Leopards. He completed 14 of his 19 throws for 173 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

"The way he handled the pressure ... he didn't flinch," Owls head coach Stan Drayton told reporters Monday. "He went out there and executed the offense, didn't try to step outside himself, went out there and put the ball where it needed to be."

Brenda Warner, the quarterback's mom, said the change atop the depth chart was made Monday, though it wasn't publicly announced at the time:

The 6'0", 190-pound signal-caller didn't generate a ton of interest coming out of Brophy College Preparatory in Arizona. He was a 3-star prospect and the No. 117-rated QB in the 2022 recruiting class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings.

He chose Temple over Colorado State, Connecticut, Hawaii and Marshall, among others.

"We loved the city and we thought it was the place I could go with high-level football in a good conference, with a good offense, that I could fit into," Warner told Ryan Wallen of OwlsDaily after his commitment in January.

His first starting test will be a tricky one as he leads Temple against Rutgers, which is 2-0 after wins over Boston College and Wagner.

The Scarlet Knights have allowed just 28 points and 457 total yards while forcing five turnovers through their first two contests.

Temple is 1-1 after dropping its opener against Duke, 30-0.