Quarterback, Temple (from Rutgers, Washington State), 2023–⁠26

Ajani Sheppard

Number
No. 13
Height
6′2″
Weight
230 lb
Class (2026)
Senior
Hometown
Bronx, NY

Ajani Sheppard plays quarterback for Temple, after Rutgers (2023–⁠24) and Washington State (2025). Last time out, against Charlotte: 15 of 23, 236 yards, 1 TD; 7 carries, 70 yards, 2 TD. Sheppard leads Temple in passing touchdowns and passing yards this season.

2026 so far

1,127 passing yards, 8 TD

Last game: 15 of 23, 236 yards, 1 TD; 7 carries, 70 yards, 2 TD vs. Charlotte, L 31–⁠38

Next game: at East Carolina, Oct 31

Game by game this season, passing yards
  1. 85URI
  2. 48PSU
  3. 164@TOL
  4. 242ARMY
  5. 92@USF
  6. 260CONN
  7. 236CLT

Filled bars: wins; outlined: losses.

Career highs

260passing yards, career highvs. UConn, 20263touchdown passes, career highat Toledo, 202687rushing yards, career highat South Florida, 20262rushing touchdowns, career highvs. Charlotte, 2026

Team titles: Pac-12 champions, 2025

Passing

Passing yards, season by season, with his team’s record

* The season in progress, so far.

SeasonTeamCmpAttPctYdsY/ATDInt
2023Rutgers22100.02311.500
2026Temple7412061.71,1279.480
Career7612262.31,1509.480

Rushing

SeasonTeamCarYdsAvgTDLong
2023Rutgers11010.0010
2024Rutgers3248.0020
2026Temple663315.0544
Career703655.2544

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosClassHtWt
2023Rutgers13QBFr.
2024Rutgers13QBSo.
2025Washington State13QBJr.
2026Temple13QBSr.6′2″230

As each season’s roster listed the player (CollegeFootballData). Classes before the latest listing are counted back from it; “Yr 1” is the year on file where that count can’t place a season he played (a redshirt, transfer or 2020 year); height and weight as last listed.

Per play

SeasonTeamPlaysEPA/playPctileMedianTotalUsageAdj. passAdj. rush
2023Rutgers30.77––2.3–––
2024Rutgers30.09––0.3–––
2026Temple1840.3886th (n=273)0.2170.644%0.270.36

Expected points added: how much the player’s plays moved the team’s expected score, per play and in total. Plays: total EPA divided by EPA per play, the plays the source credits to him (for a receiver roughly his catches and runs, not every target; for a passer, not every attempt), so it can differ from attempts plus carries. Percentile: against the position’s regulars that season across all divisions on file (quarterbacks with 150+ plays, backs 60+, receivers and tight ends 30+), with how many there were (n) and their median; a dash means too few plays to rank. A season in progress uses the full-season bar scaled by games played, never below 75 plays for quarterbacks, 30 for backs and 20 for receivers. The cohort grows or shrinks with the source’s coverage each season (2025 lists far more players), so compare percentiles rather than raw EPA across years. FCS seasons are marked. Usage: the share of the team’s plays the player was part of (shown from 20 plays). Adjusted pass and rush: EPA per play adjusted for the defenses faced (CollegeFootballData’s WEPA). From CollegeFootballData, 2013 on.

Passing detail

SeasonTeamSuccessDepthAfter catchDeep throwsDeep completed
2026Temple43%9.5 yds7.5 yds22 of 11950%

Success: passes that kept the offense on schedule. Depth: how far downfield his passes traveled in the air, on average. After catch: yards his receivers gained after the catch, per completion. Deep throws: the play-by-play gives depth and direction for about half of a passer’s throws; this is how many of those went deep, and how many of the deep ones were caught. From CollegeFootballData, FBS games, 2025 on.

Rushing detail

SeasonTeamSuccessLine yardsSecond levelOpen fieldStuffed
2026Temple63%4.101.801.9011%

Where his yards came from, per carry: line yards are the ones credited to the blockers (the first few, and losses), second level the yards 5 to 10 past the line, open field those beyond 10. Success: carries that kept the offense on schedule. Stuffed: carries stopped at or behind the line. From CollegeFootballData, FBS games, 2025 on.

Game by game

2026 Temple 7 games, 1,127 passing yards, 8 TD
DateOpponentResultCmpAttYdsTDIntRush
Sep 5vs.Rhode IslandW 38–⁠14510850023
Sep 12vs.Penn StateL 9–⁠2736480010
Sep 19atToledoL 48–⁠4912221643066
Sep 25vs.ArmyL 17–⁠2111202422048
Oct 3atSouth FloridaW 17–⁠13914921087
Oct 10vs.UConnL 20–⁠3419252601027
Oct 17vs.CharlotteL 31–⁠3815232361070
2024 Rutgers 3 games, 1 return, −3 yards
DateOpponentResultCmpAttYdsTDIntRush
Aug 29vs.HowardW 44–⁠7–––––4
Oct 12vs.WisconsinL 7–⁠42–––––20
Nov 23vs.IllinoisL 31–⁠38––––––
2023 Rutgers 1 game, 23 passing yards
DateOpponentResultCmpAttYdsTDIntRush
Sep 30vs.WagnerW 52–⁠322230010

Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.

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