OCA RATON, Fla. – Overnight, the veteran-laden Florida Atlantic University football learned that two seniors, cornerback Zyon Gilbert and quarterback N’Kosi Perry, are on the watch list by Reese’s Senior Bowl as candidates for the 2022 all-star game.
On Friday, the duo went through the paces just like their 113 teammates involved in the 2021 football camp, where every day the Owls go to work all in an effort to get better and strengthen the B.O.B. (Band of Brothers).
MEET THE PLAYERS
Redshirt freshman quarterback Michael Johnson, Jr.
On second camp and the offense’s progress:
Camp has been pretty fun so far. It is good to get back out here playing football with the guys. We worked hard all summer, as far as conditioning and lifting, and now it is back to football and doing what we love.
What are you trying to do to win the quarterback battle:
I am trying to elevate myself, since I got here really. I can’t control what Coach Tag (Willie Taggart) or anyone decides to do. All I can do is put my best foot forward and control my effort. All I can do is control what I can control and that is what I think I have been doing so far.
Graduate student quarterback N’Kosi Perry
On camp and the transition:
So far, camp has been going good. We started really good. The team and the offense is picking up on the offense really well and I’m excited for the season.
On the importance of getting into the bowl game and playing significant snaps his senior season:
It was very important. I’m not going to lie. I wasn’t expecting to get into that game. I feel like it was a blessing in disguise that I did. I tried to make the best of it and I’m thankful that I had the opportunity to play.
On how his skillset fits this particular offense:
I think it fits really well. The offense we run is a mix of everything. I have been playing football for a long time now and I have done a mix of everything in the years, so I feel like I fit into it perfectly.
Redshirt junior quarterback Nick Tronti
On being in a quarterback competition every year and how important is that experience to have for this year’s battle:
It is important. Like you said, I’m no stranger to it. Other than one year, I think I have been in a quarterback battle every single year that I have been in college. I think the biggest thing is to not see it as a competition. My goal is to go out and try to get our football team ready to play and try to work on what I can control. At the end of the day, the best player is going to play. However you think or approach the quarterback competition that is what is going to happen.
With the addition of N’Kosi Perry and Michael Johnson, Jr., how is this year’s competition different?
It doesn’t feel any different. I approach every day the same way. I’m there to get myself better. I’m there to get our football team ready to play. It doesn’t make a difference who is in the room with me.
What adjustments has the offense made to improve this year?
I would say being more detailed on certain things. With COVID, last year, we didn’t have a spring. We didn’t have a ton of time in the summer to learn the offense. It is kind of hard, in a month, to learn an entire new offense with a whole new coaching staff. I think this year, just being more detailed, understanding the offense and the details of every play.
Redshirt sophomore safety Teja Young
On camp and expectations:
I feel like camp is going well. There are a lot of things that you have to correct, things that we have to fix on a daily basis, but overall I feel like offense, defense and special teams are going well. We all expect to win so you have to win your battle every day. Our expectation is not to have a setback. Just build up and build up every day.
How is it to have the experience of you and Jordan Helm?
It is greatly important because of our position. Just like the quarterbacks on offense, we have to make everything go on defense. Experience goes a long way when playing safety.
On having experienced corners:
That is also a good thing. I don’t have to worry about if my corner is going to get the depth on his drop or make the right read backside. The chemistry between the DBs is very essential.
Graduate student safety Jordan Helm
On the 2021 camp:
Camp has been going pretty well. We had a few rain or lightning delays, but it has been a lot of competition. The offense has looked good. The defense has looked good. It is really a battle every single rep. The offense does a lot of things that makes it complicated for us and having to react to that has been tough, but the guys are picking it up pretty well.
On having a new defensive coordinator and how learning the playbook is going:
Pretty much for every guy here, we have had a new defensive coordinator every single year. Me personally, this is my sixth coordinator in six years, so learning a new playbook is really not that difficult. The guys on defense are very intelligent, very smart and are picking it up well.
First year FAU defensive coordinator/safety coach Mike Stoops
On camp and expectations coming out of it:
Being six practices in, I think the players have done a really good job of getting themselves into position to improve from where we left off in the spring. I think you can definitely see us playing at a better speed, better understanding of what we are trying to do in each particular defense. I think overall they have a much better idea of what we are trying to get accomplished and being able to execute better. Overall, the players have been very good and we have been pleased with the progress we have made. We have a long way to go, but (I am) real pleased with he first week of camp, just their attitude, their effort, their willingness to compete, their willingness to learn. I think that says a lot about their character of who they are as players. Those are great starting points. Now we have to fine tune what we are doing and we have to be able execute at a higher level, just by doing things repetitively. You gain confidence. I think we are gaining that with our first group and have to keep trying to develop it throughout the rest of our team.
On how many defensive backs you hope to have:
I think the key for us is to be as multiple as we can with the players that we have. Then I think you have to try to get the best players on the field and then you try to maneuver your defense to put them in position to make plays. We all have a system that we like to use. We are building a system in this program. We have players that can do multiple things, but ultimately we will try to get the best players on the field in any particular situation. We have used four, five or six in any one situation based on the number of receivers that they have on the field and certainly based on how we feel about our players.
First year FAU offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Michael Johnson
On camp and expectations:
I think camp has been good for us. I think we are making progress and we are installing a lot. We kinda have a heavy load right now with them thinking a bit, but they are starting to push through it and come out the back end. I think that the expectations for the next couple of weeks is that we continue to improve in the base things that we do and continue to get better fundamentally. We are still in the first week of camp, so we are still repping a lot of players. We are still installing a lot of different concepts and things, so we are still working through it, and then eventually we will scale back. I think in the next week or so we will try to continue to push forward and try to get better as an offense.
With all the position battles both with the quarterbacks and on the “O” line, when would you like to see it paired down to the starters?
There will be a point in time where we will have to do that. We will have to make some decisions and narrow the reps back and get the people we are going to try and play in the Florida game and get them ready. That is something that Coach (Willie) Taggart and I will sit down and talk about when that time comes. I think we will push forward and start going that way, but right now it is the first part of training camp I think it is early and we are still trying to get a lot of players a lot of reps.
SIDELINE CELEBRATIONS
- In red zone situations, Tronti, Perry and Johnson, Jr. each found receivers for scores connecting with Willie Wright and with Je’Quan Burton twice
- Coach Taggart has made everything a competition, and this was no different: with four plays left in the period and the score tied at four each, the first of four points was awarded to the defense for stopping the run at the line of scrimmage. Larry McCammon III broke through the lines for a 10-yard gain even the score at 1-1. On the next play, the defense pressured Johnson, Jr. who rolled out of the pocket and then used his legs to turn it into a positive play and to put the offense up 2-1. The final point also went to the offense following a pass from Johnson, Jr. to William Ford giving them a 3-1 win
- Following a break, Willie Taggart, Jr. tucked the ball and scampered 30 yards for a score
- Tronti found Kobe Stewart for a 20-yard gain
- The defense held, forcing a 32-yard field goal attempt which Morgan Suarez capitalized upon
- Akileis Leroy and Evan Anderson teamed for a huge tackle near the goal line
- Jonathan Francois found the end zone on the ground
- Antarrius Moultrie led a gang tackle to prevent a score
- Armani-Eli Adams broke up a pass to prevent a scoring reception, but the biggest play of the day was an interception by Glover Cook who took it from one end zone to the other for the 99-yard score
- Johnson, Jr. found Francois in the end zone for a score and Adam Boselli collected a 10-yard reception from Taggart, Jr.
SPEED ZONE
- D’Marcus Adams was the lone Owl to break the 20-mph barrier on Friday
WHAT’S NEXT
FAU will hold closed practices this weekend and will return to the schedule on Monday.
2021 SEASON
The Owls open up the 2021 campaign on the road on Saturday, Sept. 4, in Gainesville against Florida. The home opener is the following Saturday, at 3:30 p.m., hosting Georgia Southern. For more information on season tickets, call 1-866-FAU-OWLS or visit HERE.
Also scheduled for opening weekend at FAU Stadium is the Coach Howard Schnellenberger Celebration of Life, to be held the night before the game against GSU, Friday, Sept. 10, with the public event starting at 7:30 p.m.
