Despite the Transfer Portal taking over collegiate athletics, FAU football Head Coach Zach Kittley is finding success with High School recruiting and has no plans of slowing down.
Coming in after 2 disastrous years from Tom Herman, Kittley had to work diligently to fill a roster which was gashed by the transfer portal and graduating seniors.
Although Kittley did use the transfer portal, as any competent coach in 2025 would, he also brought in 19 freshmen and through 2 games 11 of them have gotten playing time.
Most freshmen will find ways on to the field on special teams or in late game blowout situations, however Kittley and his staff have entrusted multiple freshmen with roles right away and it has already begun to pay dividends.
Freshman edge rusher Josh Roberts was a fast riser up the depth chart over the summer, earning a rotational edge rusher role, as well as a spot on special teams, specifically punt block.
In the Owls home opener against FAMU, Roberts showed why Kittley and his staff entrusted him, recording a blocked punt which resulted in a touchdown, as well as 3 pressures on Rattlers Quarterbacks, which according to Kittley is a reflection of his work ethic.
“He’s a heck of a football player. I showed the team, it was really cool, fall camp one night, and I can’t remember what I was up here late doing, some donor stuff or whatever, And the sun is almost down, and he’s on the practice field by himself, with a pop up, doing individual drills alone, by himself, and the sun’s almost down, and I took a picture, and I sent that to the team, and I just said, this guy loves football, and he’s going to contribute. He’s going to help us this year. So it starts with his love for football, his work ethic and, man, I told you guys a couple times he wasn’t going to red shirt, and I knew he was going to make an impact for us. And for him to be a true freshman come in and block that punt, that was really cool,” Kittley said.
Roberts has been able to make his presence known, however he has not been the only freshman making plays, as Zion Paret and Damon Allen have both earned roles at corner, with Allen playing 23 snaps in the slot and Paret notching 49 at outside corner, Branden Hoch showing flashes as a depth receiver and many more making contributions through the first 2 games.
Zach Kittley has found a way to embrace freshman in a time of college athletics where incoming freshmen have found it harder and harder to find spots on rosters, let alone contributing roles, due to the recent roster limits enforcement by the NCAA and emphasis on experienced players out of the transfer portal.
Although the transfer portal can be a complementary way to build out your roster, Kittley believes he can still build out his teams through the High School ranks, noting that if a freshman can compete, “why not play right away.”
“I still continually want to try to develop this team as much as you can through high school. You can’t go 100% High School in the world we live in, but you want to get guys that can play right away. Even when I recruit high school kids now I tell them with the transfer portal, there’s no plan to red shirt anymore. And we’ve seen with the NCAA, they’re talking about going to five years of eligibility regardless. And so if you got guys that can play and help you, there’s no point in not playing, because it’s the world you live in right now, you want guys to come in and play,” Kittley said.
The main contributing freshmen have been on the defensive side of the ball, with Roberts, Allen, and Paret all earning significant playing time and despite the Owls edge rushing room featuring 2 power and 2 American conference transfers, it’s the freshman Roberts leading the room in snaps after 2 games with 63.
First year defensive coordinator Brett Dewhurst has been around many different programs in his coaching career, with stops in the SEC, Sun Belt and Big 12 conferences before joining Kittley’s staff this past offseason.
Dewhurst was the safeties coach at Mississippi State from 2022-2023 and even in the SEC, with some of the highest transfer portal budgets in the country, he found that talented freshmen could earn a role if the opportunity arose and now at FAU it is no different.
“It just depends how talented the kid is. At skill positions, usually guys play earlier, you know, just because they’re ready, up front, it’s usually a little bit harder because it’s just the strength is a little bit different. I would say, D2 to sec, wherever I’ve been skill guys they kind of play all over, so those guys usually play earlier then up front. But there have been a few places where guys are ready physically, and so you find certain roles, right? And we’re still in the same process of what can guys do well and find packages and put them in those roles to help out, where they can take maybe some reps off somebody else in a certain area and then build off that role, if they succeed in it, you know, and still find ways to rush the passer or third down and in dime packages and all that,” Dewhurst said.
As Kittley mentioned, it hasn’t just been freshman who he brought in this offseason, as he rebuilt his roster with contributors from all levels of football.
Dillion Williams was one of those transfers, heading to FAU after 3 seasons at North Texas and one at UTEP, earning a starting safety role despite not participating in spring ball and transferring in over the summer.
Williams has seen contributing freshmen before during his collegiate career, but now as an “Old Guy,” he notes that it is exciting to see the freshman work hard and earn roles in the way that multiple players have done for FAU.
“I have definitely seen it before. Young guys can come in early that can play right now, immediately to help is great you know, seeing young guys that’s ready to play and ready to learn, develop, that’s a dream to a coach. So seeing Zion and those guys on the offense just level up each week is amazing, especially coming from an old guy like me,” Williams said.
The Owls’ contributing freshman will look to continue their hot start against FIU in Miami, as they get their first taste of the Shula Bowl, with the 23rd rendition set to kick off on Saturday at 6 PM EST.
Author: Robbie Lastella
Photographer: Christian Proscia
