A brand new season of Florida Atlantic football is right around the corner, and it is getting closer and closer for the Owls’ August 30th opener on the road at Maryland.
I’ll be breaking down the FAU offense in this article, a unit that will look entirely different from what fans saw in 2024. New head coach Zach Kittley arrives in Boca Raton via Texas Tech and before that Western Kentucky where he coached Bailey Zappe to throw the most touchdowns in NCAA history for a single season. The new head man will also be calling plays on game days, similar to his mentor Kliff Kingsbury. Kingsbury is the former Texas Tech head coach (who coached Patrick Mahomes) and current Washington Commanders offensive coordinator. Kittley, via the transfer portal and high school signing period, brings with him a fast-paced, pass-heavy system rooted in the Air Raid. With new playmakers, fresh faces in the trenches, and a revamped quarterback room, the 2025 Owls offense is ready to fly.
Starting at the top, quarterback Caden Veltkamp arrives via Western Kentucky and is poised to be the engine of this offense. Veltkamp accounted for 37 total touchdowns over his last 14 games and was named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year in 2024. He reunites with Kittley, the coach who originally recruited him to WKU. Their familiarity with the system should allow FAU’s offense to hit the ground running. The two also have a great connection, at American conference media days Kittley said Veltkamp was like a son to him. Veltkamp brings size, arm strength and mobility to the position, and will be throwing to one of the deepest receiving corps the program has had in recent memory. Behind Veltkamp, FAU brought in Georgia State QB Zach Gibson who has FBS experience, he should be a solid backup. After that look out for Kasen Weisman who saw some playing time last year.
The receiver room is loaded with new talent. Transfers Easton Messer and JR Wilson bring starting experience, while players like Jabari Smith and Joe Young return with breakout potential. Messer, a favorite target of Veltkamp’s at WKU, operates primarily out of the slot and brings both chemistry and polish. Messer worked his way up from a walk-on at WKU to being one of Veltkamp’s favorite targets last year. Wilson and fellow transfer Quincy Brown provide size and contested-catch ability on the perimeter. Throw in true freshmen like Jade Card, Mykel Calixte and Branden Hoch, and FAU has built a versatile group capable of attacking all areas of the field.
Just because the Owls will be running the air raid offense, does not mean they won’t run the ball. Kittley coached up Texas Tech running back Tahj Brooks to have two 1500 yard seasons. I don’t think FAU has a back as good as Brooks, who was a 6th round NFL draft pick, but they have young backs waiting to be unleashed. At running back, the Owls will primarily play three younger guys, Gemari Sands, Xavier Terrell, and Kaden Shields-Dutton. Sands is a tough, between-the-tackles runner who flashed late last season, while Terrell offers lightning speed and home-run potential out of the backfield. Both backs will be featured not only in the run game, but as pass catchers in a system that spreads the ball around. Kaden Shields-Dutton adds a power element, and true freshman Ethan Ervin is a name to watch for the future.
Tight ends will be used differently than in recent years, with more emphasis on route running and versatility. South Carolina transfer Reid Mikeska projects as the likely starter, offering physicality in the run game and red-zone value as a big target. Mike Kirch, a transfer from D2 Thomas More, brings intriguing upside as a pass catcher. Veltkamp mentioned Kirch as someone that has been great all summer. Martavious Collins was TE1 during the spring when Mikeska was sidelined and Kirch wasn’t here, he caught every ball thrown his way during the spring game. True freshmen Tamez Young and Brock Kuhl round out a tight end room that will be heavily involved in this version of the Air Raid.
Up front, FAU is undergoing a complete overhaul. Four new starters are expected to take the field in 2025, and the unit will be coached by Zach Kittley’s longtime offensive line coach Stephen Hamby. Hamby was with Kittley for a year at Texas Tech and was the offensive line coach at WKU when that offense was the best in the country. The scheme will ask these linemen to space themselves, protect the quarterback in true drop-back sets, and stay consistent in pass protection.
Two returning lineman Daughtry Richardson and Alex Atcavage will be starters on the right side. Richardson played almost every game for FAU last year at right tackle after transferring from FSU. Richardson was named to the Bruce Feldman’s freaks list at #78, if he has a good year he has the athletic makeup to be a NFL draft pick. Atcavage returns as a full time starter at RG, it was a big get to bring him back to FAU after he entered the transfer portal. Vince Fiacable should be the starter at center, he is a versatile guy who saw limited playing time at playoff team Indiana. On the left side I expect JaKavion Nonar to start at left tackle and Scarlee Jean to start at left guard. Nonar is a big 6 ‘8 tackle who put on the size this past offseason to compete, and Jean is a strong stocky guard who transferred to FAU last year.
The shift in philosophy toward a more pass-happy, tempo-based offense will challenge defenses in the American conference, and with the pieces now in place, Kittley’s vision is starting to take shape. The 2025 Owls will look vastly different on offense, and that might be exactly what they need to get back to a bowl game.
Cover Photo Credits: Christian Proscia, NewEraPrep
