FAU Football Spring Preview: The Owls Look to (Finally) Soar

Coming off a disappointing 2025 season, the Florida Atlantic Owls have plenty of talent on their 2026 roster. Led by quarterback Caden Veltkamp and wide receiver Easton Messer, FAU is in a great position to compete in a depleted American Conference this college football season. They have also bolstered positions of need with fun transfers and returning players from last season.

Ahead of spring ball getting rolling, it’s time to get you primed for the upcoming practices for the Owls. Without further ado, let us dive into it!

FAU Football Spring Preview

Key Returning Players

Heading into spring football, FAU has some key players returning to Boca Raton on offense and defense.

Offensively, no returning player is more important than quarterback Caden Veltkamp. Even with dealing with a shoulder injury, the Western Kentucky transfer threw for 3,641 yards and 24 touchdowns. The quarterback also added 190 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground.

Veltkamp struggled with turnovers, as he had 17 interceptions in the 2025 season. Despite this, the quarterback’s impact and value to the FAU offense were undeniable. Veltkamp hit throws to every level of the field, used anticipation consistently, and displayed impressive athleticism as both a runner and a passer. He elevated the team consistently, overcoming poor offensive line play, an inconsistent run game, and some spotty situational play-calling. In year two of Zach Kittley‘s offensive scheme, expect Veltkamp to elevate to a new level in 2026.

At wideout, Easton Messer and Branden Hoch are two of the more important players returning at the wideout position. A versatile chess piece for the Owls, Messer notched 1,059 yards and six touchdowns on 105 receptions. Messer, no matter where he lines up, creates separation down the field. He is extremely dynamic with the football in his hands as well. In 2026, expect the Owls to funnel plenty of targets toward the wideout again. Hoch, despite not starting many games in 2025, recorded 177 yards on 12 receptions. He not only showed impressive speed, but also solid route running and contested catch ability. With more targets in 2026, Hoch could be a breakout star for the Owls.

Two other key offensive returners are running back Kaden Shields-Dutton and center Vincent Fiacable. Getting more work as the season moved on, the running back totaled 461 yards and six touchdowns on 84 carries. He had 326 yards after contact and forced 26 missed tackles, along with 15 runs of 10 yards or more. Fiacable, who entered the transfer portal before returning to the Owls, was one of the best pass-blocking centers in America last season. On 661 pass blocking opportunities, the offensive lineman only allowed one sack and seven pressures.

Defensively, the Owls also have a few key contributors returning. Wilky Denaud, Josh Roberts, and Deshuan Batiste all are back after finding differing levels of success in 2025. Denaud, an interior defensive lineman, provided 15 run stops and was one of the team’s best run stuffers. Roberts, a freshman in 2025, had 12 pressures and three sacks while showing off some impressive speed rushing ability. Batiste, a Tulane transfer, utilized more power-rush skill on his way to five sacks and 26 pressures.

At linebacker, Leon Hart Jr. is a huge piece that should be in a position to have a successful 2026 season. On 638 snaps, the linebacker had 57 tackles, 32 defensive stops, nine pressures, and two sacks. He also had one pass breakup and one forced fumble. There were highs and lows for Hart Jr., but from an overall perspective, he helped keep the Owls in games week in and week out. With a few fewer missed tackles, the linebacker has a chance to be one of FAU’s best overall players this season.

Key Newcomers

Florida Atlantic added 30 transfers and 14 high school recruits in the 2026 class. Within that class, there are some very intriguing players on both sides of the ball.

Offensively, Leonard Farrow was one of the best running backs at the Division II level, notching over 1,400 yards on the ground and 14 total touchdowns. He should be considered a gigantic big play threat for FAU in 2026. At wideout, Kelby Valsin and Nicsaint Joseph Jr. present two intriguing players who could be in store for big springs. Valsin is a Texas Tech transfer who had over 30 offers out of high school, while Joseph Jr. was a highly talented wideout at Miami Northwestern who helped lead the Bulls to a title in 2024. Both players provide massive big-play ability down the field and upper-level route running.

Defensively, Nate Fischer is a linebacker who could easily slot into a starting role alongside Hart Jr. for the Owls. A standout for San Diego, the linebacker made 97 tackles, totaled 8.5 tackles for loss, and 10 pass breakups.

Kenyon Garner was a standout for Keystone, who was targeted by Texas Tech in the portal, but signed with FAU. Notching 15 sacks in 2025, Garner has the potential to be a massive spark plug for the Owls in an area in which they struggled with last year. Wallace Foster IV, an LSU transfer, has the talent to be a high-end cornerback at the college level.

Main Storyline to Watch

Heading into the spring, the main storyline is simple: How does FAU improve from 2025 and fix its mistakes? 

The Owls, even in a down season, had the talent to win many more games than they ended up doing. Frankly, it was a roster that was capable of making a bowl game. However, they faltered in more ways than one over the course of 2025.

The offensive line gave up pressure at a very high clip. Shifting between the interior and edges, it truly felt like quarterback Caden Veltkamp was running for life on a consistent basis. This also impacted the run game. Without a consistent push up front, the Owls fell behind the sticks and were forced to put their quarterback under pressure in pure passing situations.

Defensively, the Owls were simply too inconsistent. From missed tackles to blown assignments in coverage, it felt that things fell apart in the back half of games when the offense was not operating at a semi-perfect level. Additionally, the discipline on both sides of the ball was spotty. There were multiple games where FAU took horrific penalties that ended up costing them points and overall wins.

The second year of a program is massive in every single way. For FAU, that is especially the case when you consider the new additions to the roster and the returning players. Zach Kittley has a true runway to make noise in a depleted American Conference, and how he lays the foundation this spring will go a long way toward determining if FAU reaches its goals in 2026.

Three Big Questions

Over the course of spring football, there are many questions that need to be answered by FAU. However, these are the main three.

• What Tweaks to the Scheme were Made?
  • Did Zach Kittley fully analyze what went wrong in 2025? How FAU adjusts its scheme in 2026 will be a massive question.
• Is There “True” Competition?
  • Has the coaching staff decided on starters? Or will the “best players” truly get on the field?
• Did the Mindset Change?
  • Did more leaders step up? What has the mindset shift looked like? Is this FAU football team willing and able to commit to the vision?