BOCA RATON — Florida Atlantic’s football team wrapped up its spring season on Friday with its annual Spring Showcase, giving fans a preview of what’s to come this fall.
Under second-year coach Zach Kittley, the Owls are looking to take a step forward after going 4-8 last season. Throughout the spring, that sense of improvement was more than palpable.
FAU ended its practice season with a four-quarter, running clock scrimmage between the offense and the defense, presenting a big opportunity for some of the team’s newcomers.
“I thought we played pretty well,” Kittley said. “You’ll see a lot more here in September.”
Here are five things we learned about FAU’s football team this spring:
Retention is a key component of this year’s team
Florida Atlantic retained a large amount of its production on both sides of the ball, the most notable quarterback Caden Veltkamp — who was limited throughout the spring due to his recovery from a shoulder injury — and widereceiver Easton Messer.
While the pair of former Western Kentucky transfers are earning most of the attention, other notable returners such as running back Kaden Shields-Dutton, wide receiver Dom Henry and linebacker Leon Hart are all in line to have high-impact roles later this year.
Furthering the familiarity, every assistant coach from Kittley’s staff is returning for the 2026 season, something that Kittley isn’t taking for granted.
“It’s very rare to have your entire full-time coaching staff back in the world we live in right now,” Kittley said. “For me to have that come back was huge for me.”
FAU’s backup QB’s show signs of promise throughout the spring
With Veltkamp not suited up, the Owls’ backup quarterbacks moved up the depth chart, gaining some valuable first- and second-team reps. Jordan Magwood, a returning sophomore, figures to be Veltkamp’s true backup. He was featured alongside most of the first-team offense throughout the spring, and had a solid performance in the spring game, completing 9 of 12 passes for 139 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception.
Additionally, Rice transfer Drew Devillier (10 of 14, 140 yards, 1 INT), freshman Jeremiah Daoud (13 of 15, 239 yards) and redshirt sophomore Michael Valentino (3 of 5, 66 yards) saw action in the spring game. Kittley spoke highly about the performances of each of his backup quarterbacks.
“I thought we did pretty good,” Kittley said. “When you look at a lot of those mistakes, it was some younger guys. I feel like the nerves were kind of a little high, first time in the stadium, in front of that many people, playing under the lights. So we’ve just got to clean some of that up. But, I feel really good.”
Leonard Farrow leads FAU’s newcomers
While the story of the offseason has been about the amount of retention, FAU has plenty of new faces also in line to have an immediate impact.
Aside from Devillier, the Owls have many new weapons that have made their way to Boca Raton through the transfer portal. Notably, running back Leonard Farrow — a Division II transfer — and Texas Tech transfer wide receiver Kelby Valsin impressed throughout the spring. Farrow ran six times for 54 yards, including a long of 34 yards, on Friday. Valsin caught Magwood’s 9-yard touchdown pass.
“For me, it was just about getting the opportunity to showcase what I could do,” Valsin said. “Just having a coach of staff that really believes in me, and gives me the opportunity to showcase my abilities, that’s what I’m most grateful for.”
Owls defense forces 3 turnovers
The Owls struggled with forcing turnovers on defense last season, coming away with 3 interceptions and 5 fumble recoveries.
Although it’s only the spring, the defense appears to be rejuvenated. The Owls came away with 3 turnovers — 2 interceptions by Zyere Horton and Justin Weatherall, and 1 fumble forced by Thomas Jackson – on Friday night. Also, Tycoolhill Luman had two sacks.
“We made such a bigger emphasis this year of taking that football away,” Kittley said. “I’m fired up with where they’re at. I think, grand scheme, holistically, we’re just so much better.”
Owls stronger in the trenches with 4 transfer offensive linemen
Kittley and his staff made it a priority to improve in two areas: The offensive line and the defensive line.
After convincing starting guard Vincent Fiacable to withdraw his name from the transfer portal and come back to FAU for a second season, the Owls brought in four transfers on the offensive line. They also have one incoming freshman offensive lineman in Alejandro Schmitt.
“It’s always a lot easier to run it back there if you have a line that’s in sync,” Farrow said. “It’s way different and definitely helps a lot, for sure.”
On the other side of the ball, the Owls added six new defensive lineman to put more pressure on the quarterback.
“We went out and we made sure we got the right guys in this football program,” Kittley said. “They’re all the kind of guys that love football, that are gonna grind the way we want to grind, that are about to process, that love all the details that go into it.”
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida Atlantic Owls spring football wraps up amid optimism for 2026
Reporting by Justin Backer, Special to The Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
