FAU Football: Caden Veltkamp looks to shine with the Owls

Today, we will take a look at one of the best quarterback transfers from the winter portal, FAU quarterback Caden Veltkamp. The reigning CUSA Offensive Player of the Year, Veltkamp has all of the physical tools to take another leap in the Zach Kittley-led FAU offense. He can hit every throw on the field, make plays on the run, and be an overall ceiling raiser for an offense.

How did Veltkamp get to this point? What does he truly bring to the table? And how is he set to contribute in 2025?

We will dive into all of that, and more. It is time for another League Winners player profile!

FAU Football: Who is Caden Veltkamp?

Veltkamp, a Kentucky native, was a top-50 quarterback in the 2022 class, according to the 24/7 composite rankings. In his total high school career, the quarterback had 2,733 passing yards, 31 passing touchdowns, and only six interceptions. Veltkamp, as a result, had offers from Western Kentucky, Akron, Kentucky, Indiana State, Miami (OH), and North Dakota State. He also had reported interest from Indiana.

Ultimately, Veltkamp committed to the Hilltoppers and was a key part of their 2022 class. He did not see action in 2022, resulting in him taking a redshirt season. In 2023, the quarterback firmly arrived on the scene against Old Dominion in the Famous Toastery Bowl. Veltkamp threw for 380 yards and five touchdowns on 40 completions. Willing the Hilltoppers to victory, Veltkamp helped to pull off the fourth-biggest bowl game comeback victory ever.

The gunslinger, building off his bowl game performance, kept the party rolling. In 12 games, Veltkamp threw for 3,097 yards and 25 touchdowns. He had 15 big-time throws, an ADOT of 8.5, and added 272 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. Veltkamp also had 15 fumbles, 10 interceptions, and 13 turnover-worthy plays. After a close loss in the Boca Raton Bowl, Veltkamp committed to Florida Atlantic to link up with trusted wideout Easton Messer and reunite with former coach Zach Kittley.

Strengths

As a player, Veltkamp has a very good amount of skill to work with and plenty of upside as a player.

In the passing game, the former Western Kentucky quarterback is comfortable and extremely comfortable in the pocket. Veltkamp has solid footwork and throwing mechanics that are usually replicated in a game setting. He understands how to read pressure, sliding and shifting around while always keeping his eyes downfield.

On the majority of his dropbacks, Veltkamp is ready to throw and/or make a play; the quarterback is rarely flat-footed or slow to react. This carries over into when Veltkamp delivers the ball, as the quarterback has the arm to hit every throw on the field.

He thrives across the middle of the field, whether it is a throw into a tight window or a touch pass that gives his target the ability to run after the catch. More often than not, Veltkamp is accurate and on time with his throws, allowing the offense to keep the chains moving. Most interestingly, though, is Veltkamp’s downfield throwing ability.

On the opportunities he had to throw deep down the field in Western Kentucky’s motion and screen-heavy scheme, Veltkamp displayed nice touch and accuracy. He showed an understanding of how to give his receivers the best ability to make a play, while also not letting the defender make an easy deflection.

Additionally, Veltkamp usually keeps his solid mechanics when on the move. He delivers the ball in stride to his targets and makes smart decisions on when and where to deliver the ball. This ties into his overall athleticism.

Veltkamp is a good runner of the football who has the frame to take hits and execute in short-yardage situations. Veltkamp also displayed upper-end escapability; in the mold of a Drew Allar, the quarterback can shrug off pass rushers or make them miss while trying to make a big play downfield.

After watching him, it is no surprise that FAU desired Veltkamp in the portal. However, a much less talked-about point is the quarterback’s downsides. In this sense, one could easily argue that as much as the Owls saw Veltkamp as a fit, Caden saw FAU as the perfect fit to take his game to the next level.

Areas of Improvement

No college quarterback is a perfect product, especially in 2025. When it comes to Veltkamp, he has some weaknesses that occasionally pop up in his 2024 season.

One of the main things that Veltkamp struggled with was the ball dying on him. For every great throw and big-time play, there was a screen pass that bounced early and an off-target pass downfield. On certain throws down the field, the quarterback saw his ball fall short of his intended target or lead his wideout into unnecessary traffic.

I would not say that this was a crippling weakness for Veltkamp. After all, he did win the CUSA Offensive Player of the Year award. However, these throws limited the Kentucky native from having a truly elite season with the Hilltoppers.

What was arguably the main reason, in my eyes, that Veltkamp had these things pop up on tape? It ties into his overall mechanics as a quarterback.

For as solid and fluid as Veltkamp is, there were some plays and throws where that was not the case. On certain dropbacks, he would have his feet click together or get tangled up underneath him. On the other hand, he would have his base go way too wide on him, causing him to lose connection with his lower body. The opposite would sometimes occur, too, as Veltkamp would try to launch the ball by relying only on his arm.

These throws are not glaring. Rather, they are mixed in between some of the best throws you could see a college quarterback make. And, just as I said before, these things prevented him from having a truly elite season at WKU.

Additionally, Veltkamp needs to make better decisions as a runner. In short, find someone on the FAU baseball team to teach him how to slide. Even with a big frame and great athletic ability, Vetlkamp’s best trait is being on the field as the starting quarterback. If he cannot do that, all of the other positives do not matter.

2025 Outlook with the FAU Owls

We arrive at the most important question for the quarterback entering this season. What is the 2025 outlook for Caden Veltkamp on the FAU Owls? To answer that question, I want to circle back to a point I made earlier in the article.

I said that, as much as Florida Atlantic wanted Veltkamp, there is a great possibility that Caden saw FAU as the perfect fit to take his game to the next level. This is, of course, due to the presence of head coach Zach Kittley.

Kittley is responsible for coaching Bailey Zappe and Patrick Mahomes at various points in their college careers. His offenses have consistently generated points and helped quarterbacks achieve stats in the upper echelon of any level of football. In this sense, Veltkamp is the perfect fit to be Kittley’s next success story.

Kittley is a coach who can help refine the mechanics, footwork, and overall tools of Veltkamp, allowing him to be more consistent. The Owls’ head coach can take full advantage of the former Hilltopper’s arm strength, allowing him to attack areas of the field he never had a chance to do at WKU. Furthermore, Kittley can give command of the offense to Veltkamp, utilizing the quarterback’s high level of knowledge and ability to attack defenses.

Kittley’s presence is not the only reason for optimism, though. FAU added Easton Messer, Veltkamp’s close friend and a dynamic receiver who will likely be peppered with targets. They also added JR Wilson, Assad Wassem, and Quincy Brown at the wide receiver position in the transfer portal. And that does not even include the bevy of other transfers, freshmen, and returning players the Owls have at the playmaking positions and along the offensive line. From Jade Card to Carson Osumus to Braden Cunningham, and everywhere in between, FAU has multiple players with talent-laden potential.

In 2025, Veltkamp has a chance to be elite. He has the tools to be an upper-level quarterback and has the coaching in place to take him there. He also has the surroundings that can protect him and make plays when he gets them the ball. Most importantly, he has the matchups that could ensure that he firmly arrives on the scene.

To achieve this status, though, Veltkamp will need to fix the inconsistencies that prevented his ascension in 2024. He needs to not have that gear that causes him to waste a play or two throughout a game.

If he accomplishes this, though, you could see a dark horse to be one of the best quarterbacks in the country and a very special 2025 season. Most of all, you could possibly have a player who the NFL Draft community starts to keep a bit of a closer eye on, along with his head coach.