FAU Owls newly arrived quarterback, Cam Fancher, will have a considerable impact on the football team in 2024.
Like many teams in college football, Florida Atlantic is searching for stability at the quarterback position. In 2023, the Owls’ offense sputtered, only averaging 23.8 points per game. This was mainly due to a meager passing attack that averaged 215 yards and under two touchdowns a game. However, FAU has a new quarterback, Cam Fancher, who’s looking to change the narrative in 2024 with a combination of passing production and rushing ability.
Cam Fancher – The Answer for the Owls?
Cam Fancher, a transfer from Marshall University, is the presumed starter heading into 2024. He started most of the 2022 and 2023 seasons for Marshall before entering the portal and ending up in Boca Raton.
Fancher has a great arm and a knack for pushing the ball down the field. In 2023, he threw for 2,161 yards and 11 touchdowns while averaging seven yards per attempt. He had 15 big-time throws as well, further signifying his ability to make the deep passes and big plays.
Diving even further, Fancher was an assassin on play-action plays. He had 706 yards and six of his touchdowns on play-action plays. He was also very effective when blitzed, racking up eight touchdowns on 130 eligible dropbacks.
On the ground, Fancher was a force. He had 458 yards and four touchdowns, with 223 yards after contact and 21 missed tackles forced.
Cam Fancher DIVES to get this TD!! pic.twitter.com/ZWaCXe3eHj
— The CW Sports (@TheCW_Sports) October 7, 2023
Combined, these give Fancher a unique skill set. That has been evident since high school, where Fancher was a multi-sport athlete. He won a state championship in the triple jump, and played basketball.
However, Fancher is not without his flaws. The quarterback had 11 interceptions and 15 turnover-worthy plays, numbers that are too high for a quarterback who only threw 11 touchdowns. This followed a 2022 season in which he threw five interceptions.
He struggled with no play action, registering 10 of his 11 picks without it. These turnovers were also all when Fancher tried to push the ball down the field; four were on passes of 20 yards or more, while five were on passes of 10 yards or more. The quarterback also struggled in the fumble department, having nine of them in the 2023 season.
Verdict?
Fancher is the type of quarterback that falls into a specific category.
He has all of the tools and traits to succeed at the college level. However, he has played too recklessly so far in his career to find that success. In Tom Herman‘s offense, Fancher will have the opportunity to be reigned in and forced to play within the scheme.
If Fancher can combine his abilities with a smarter mindset and strategy, then FAU will have its offensive leader ready to roll for 2024. If he can’t, one of the other depth options will likely have to be the answer for the Owls.
It will be very intriguing to watch Fancher progress, as he truly holds the keys to how far the offense can go in 2024.
