| 4/4/2024 | Football BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Atlantic’s Hagerty Family Head Football Coach Tom Herman used his time following Thursday morning’s practice to remind the squad of the importance of Saturday’s  scrimmage. It will be the team’s final scrimmage prior to the 2024 Spring Game and the final game film for the coaching staff to build upon as the team moves toward the ’24 season.While that evaluation is well underway, the Owls used Thursday to work through individual improvement and fundamental work, continuing with a steady rotation and snaps for the entire depth chart, something that will be limited come fall.During the controlled team portion of practice, there were highlights on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Darius McClendon had an interception and return from inside the 10. Newcomer Milan Tucker had a nice catch and run as did running back Joshua Harriott. Fellow running back Zuberi Mobley continues to shine, as does returning wide receiver Omari Hayes, who added a touchdown reception. COMPLETE ROSTER QUOTABLE Defensive Coordinator Roc Bellantoni On the progress of the defense this spring “I think we have made a lot of progress in the secondary. I think we are a lot stronger in the secondary than we have been, I think our linebackers are playing better football than we played last year with another year in the system. Up front on the d-line, we have competition, I think the guys are playing really hard. We have to be more disciplined in our gap integrity and our assignments at times, but I think we are playing a lot better football up front…I am pleased with where we are at in terms of effort, energy, and playmaking.”On returning inside linebackers “It is very comforting to have those guys back. They know what to expect, know the calls, have experience setting the front and getting everyone on the same page. It is like putting on an old pair of jeans. I will be spoiled for one more year with them and then it is rebuilding the room again.” Redshirt Senior QB Michael Johnson Jr. On his love for the game “I am just looking forward to the future and what’s to come. Every day is a grind, obviously, but you have to really love the process. That just makes everything worth it in the end.”On the QB room “Everything we do as far as development, the way our operation goes, that is a credit to Coach Frye [OC/QB Coach Charlie Frye] and Coach Herman [Hagerty Family Football Head Coach Tom Herman], it helps people come along a lot faster. The guys in the locker room, it is not only the process and the way they go about things, but also the work they put outside of football, it means something to them. They are studying at night, drawing up plays, have their progressions and their notes to where they can come in and operate. The whole room is like that.”On the team culture “The culture is fun to be around. I have seen a lot of different kinds of teams and personalities over the last four years, I think this is the most positive it has ever been. It is amazing to be around. You wake up at 5:30 in the morning excited to come in and be around people who you truly want to work with.” Redshirt Sophomore OL Daughtry Richardson On adjusting to Boca Raton and Florida Atlantic “Being in Boca, I love the community. The people out here are very nice and friendly. The team is like a brotherhood to me. The competitions we do at practice every day, we compete with each other every day to make each other better. They make me feel at home, make me feel welcome.”On gelling with the offensive line “It is about building chemistry with the o-line, being on that same level. Coming into the o-line room, I love everybody that is in it. We have to keep building chemistry.” Redshirt Senior DB Darius McClendon On what he sees from the defensive back room “On the field, just with the young guys, giving them opportunities to learn. One thing I can say about the DB group from last year to this year is we are closer. We watch film, try to coach up everybody, try to make our weakest link our strongest link so we can all be the best. For our young guys, don’t make the mistakes that the older guys are making, just learn from my mistakes so they don’t have to repeat the same things.”On working with Co-Defensive Coordinator/Cornerbacks Coach Brandon Harris “Coach Harris is going to get a lot out of you every practice no matter what. If we are down, he is going to bring it up. His juice is unmatched from any DB coach I have ever been coached by. He is a great coach, going to push us hard, push us to be better, he loves that we compete against each other, he wants us to compete to bring the whole group level up.” O-LINE FEATURESPRING GAME The Owls will conclude the 2024 spring practice season with a spring game slated for Saturday, Apr. 13 at noon. The game will be played in FAU Stadium. GRIDIRON GOLF Join NILinParadise at the Gridiron Classic Golf Tournament, sponsored by GA Telesis. All proceeds directly support FAU student-athletes. Join the Owls for a day of golf, prizes and comraderie scheduled for Thursday, Apr. 25, 2024, at the Boca West Country Club. To register your foursome, click HERE. COMPLETE SCHEDULE Click HERE. SEASON TICKETS To purchase season tickets, click HERE. FOLLOW THE TEAM Stay informed by reading FAUSports.com, or through football’s Twitter and Instagram accounts @FAUFootball. |
