Day 2 of FAU Fall Camp wrapped up Thursday morning at the Schmidt Family Practice Field under the hot South Florida sun. The media got a 30 minute look at practice, focusing mostly on the quarterbacks and offensive line. It was the second open session so far, and gave a good early look at how things are starting to come together on offense.
Offensive Line: One of the most intriguing position groups on this FAU roster is the offensive line. With the departures of LT Malcolm Lamar and G Andre Lamas, starting jobs are at stake this training camp. One of the returning pieces of the O-line is Alex Atcavage, a sixth-year grad student who has been with FAU his entire college career. When asked about his decision to come back to FAU, Atcavage the longest tenured active player in the program stated, “I’ve obviously always loved this school, and I never wanted to leave. I wish I had five more years left with this staff.”
Atcavage also mentioned fellow lineman Ja’Kavion Nonar, emphasizing how he’s a much improved player who has gained a ton of confidence over the offseason. Nonar transferred from Maryland to FAU before the 2024 season, appearing in seven games last season, with most of his contributions coming on special teams. The Belle Glade native will likely be in the mix for a starting job as we get further into camp.
A drill we’ve seen linemen going through during the first two days of camp is blocking with a black leverage ball. After being asked about using the ball, Atcavage mentioned that Coach Hamby (O-line coach) loves his players to have “violent hands,” adding that it “helps imitate a defender.”
Quarterbacks: During yesterday’s press conference, HC Zach Kittley stated that it’s a “5-man battle” at quarterback. The consensus is that Caden Veltkamp, the 2025 C-USA Offensive Player of the Year, will be the Week 1 starter. That said, FAU has a surplus of talented players in its QB room, most notably Zach Gibson, who has been playing football at the collegiate level since 2019, and has experience with three other programs (Akron, Georgia Tech, and Georgia State). In seven games with Georgia State last season, Gibson threw for just over 1,000 yards, compiling 102 completions on 151 attempts (67.5% completion rate).
Also looking to take a step forward is Kasen Weisman, a redshirt sophomore from Douglasville, Georgia. Weiserman saw a decent amount of game action last season, throwing for over 400 yards on 73 attempts, but posting a subpar 53.4% completion rate. He also flashed potential on the ground, leading the Owls’ ground game against ECU with 41 rushing yards in November of last year.
Overall, it was a successful day of camp as the team continued to jell and build chemistry. Day 3 is set for tomorrow as fall practice rolls on.