| 4/2/2026 | Football BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Atlantic football split time once again between the practice facility and Howard Schnellenberger Field at Flagler Credit Union Stadium on Thursday morning. Weather shortened practice, but that will provide more recovery time before Saturday’s practice.Both locations were again lined by area high school prospects who attended practice to get a feel for the work ethic and practice styles of college football. On Thursday the group was led by former Owl and head football coach at Coconut Creek High School Johnnie Sloan and his defensive coordinator, another former Owl, Craig Roundtree.Much of the practice field work was under cloud cover and a light misting rain. Rising senior quarterback Caden Veltkamp continued his rehabilitation work and dry practice work of reading defenses but also saw time during 7-on-7 sessions. Owl quarterbacks Jordan Magwood and Jeremiah Daoud, running the ones and twos, respectively, had successes, but so did the defense with junior DB Kam Herring recording a toe-tapping interception on the home sideline and redshirt sophomore DB Kyle Boylston collecting a pass that ended a long drive, adding a 20-yard return before lightning ended the day. MEET BLAKE BURRIS QUOTABLE Hagerty Family Head Football Coach Zach Kittley On how Tuesday’s scrimmage went “It was a good first scrimmage for us. We didn’t have any serious injuries, which is always good. You got your knicks and your bumps, your bruises, all those things, but that’s kind of to come whenever you’re doing your first live scrimmage and you’re tackling a little bit more. But it was a good day. A couple guys that flashed, thinking back to two days ago, Antojuan Woody in the slot room, he had a huge day for us. I want to say he probably had eight or nine catches for at least 150 [yards]; he had some really good plays. Kelby Valsin caught a few huge balls, Dom Henry took a 75-yard touchdown, one play drive, to the house on a curl offensively. We’re really rotating a lot of people in the offensive line room, and so we’re kind of a little bit everywhere, that’s kind of the one area where we’ve had a little bit of the injury bug and we’ve got some guys that have been out that are coming back, which is good moving forward. Our tight ends are looking really, really good…We threw a Hail Mary-ish type play and AJ (Johnson) went up and made a one-handed Hail Mary type play in the back of the end zone in a scrum of guys to win that for the offense, that was really cool. Running backs were doing really well as well, Leonard Farrow had a huge scrimmage, Ethan Ervin had a few massive plays, he had an explosive run for about 45 [yards] to the house, so I think the explosiveness is there….We looked really good.And then defensively, I’ve been loving on him all the time, recently, Hector Chavez is really coming along as a young guy that’s making a lot of plays. He made a lot of plays again today for us, at linebacker. I’m really proud of him and where he’s at. Defensive line looks really good. Blake Burris is a massive human being, something we did not have last year. I call him my kryptonite because we have guys open and he’s batting the ball down because he’s so big and long and he’s getting after the quarterback, he’s running screens down. He has a basketball background, so he’s a really big dude that can really move. He’s been an awesome fresh air for us there. CJ Doggette Jr. is exactly who we know who he is, he’s playing well. Wilky (Denaud), moving him inside is doing a really good job. I really like our edge room with the addition of Jay Crable and Jonathan Bax. You have a lot of guys back in that room, you have G [Gavench Marcelin] back in that room, Josh Roberts is back in that room, so I feel really good with where we’re at there as well. [At] linebacker, Joe Sipp has done some really good stuff. He has been banged up, but was back out there today, and looked good today. So, you’re getting a lot of Hector Chavez, Zyere Horton, Char’Quez Lee, Nate Fischer, a lot of those guys are getting a ton of reps from there, which is good too. And in the back end, we’re moving guys all over the place, trying to figure out where do we fit best. Dooda (Derrick) Rogers is playing a lot more nickel this year than he did last year, which is a good change, moving Damon Allen back to safety which is more of his natural position as well. So, we have a lot of competition, Tyson Rooks has looked really good back there. I’m excited about where we’re at after practice eight. We had a little early practice today, but you have to look at the silver linings I looked at it as an opportunity for our guys to rest, recover, and rehab. We’re going to come back and have a little short yardage goal line practice on Saturday. So we have to get ready for that.” On redshirt senior QB Caden Veltkamp’s progression “It’s going really well., I’m excited to go watch the tape. He got to do about eight plays at full speed, 7-on-7 out there today. We’re still going to really limit the contact stuff with him…He’s seeing defense so much. One thing I’ve asked him to do is be in the back behind the camera, and I want to see him go through everything that we teach. And you see him out there, he sees we may be throwing the ball over here, well he’s pointing this way, like ‘I’m going to throw it there if I was in…’ He’s doing everything that I’m asking him to do. He’s being a leader, he’s working hard in the rehab, he’s making sure he’s doing the rehab right…But it was great having him back out there. And I think it fired a lot of guys up and it’s just great to have him back.” On the defensive backs “That’s the one position where we have some other guys that can play there too. Having Queso [Damarius McGhee] back, he was one of our very consistent players last year. So having him back, a veteran presence, knows the system, knows what we’re doing, he has had a really good camp so far. JK (Johnson) has had a really good camp…extremely talented guy. It’s just one of those things where everybody might just need the right opportunity. Amar (Reynolds) is having a great camp too, you have Dooda and Chris Tooley III that can go play some corner. Travis Jackson, a true freshman, has made some really explosive plays for us too. Tyson Rooks is probably built more to play safety, but he has played corner. Wallace Foster, who’s playing nickel for us, can go play corner if you need him to, he can go play safety if you need him to. We’re at the point where we’re trying to find the best five guys.” Defensive Tackles Coach/Run Game Coordinator Devin Santana On what he has pleased him most about his unit “Right now, the biggest thing that I’m pleased with in my unit is they’re attacking every day. There are a lot of guys going in multiple positions, playing a lot of playing a lot of different positions every single day. But the biggest thing is the development, and they attack it every day. I mean, the ones can be ones, they can be threes, the twos can be threes, they can be on one field, they can be on another field, but they’re attacking it every single day, so I’m just pleased with that.” On the importance of retaining redshirt senior DL CJ Doggette Jr. “I think the biggest thing that we did from last season of this season is just retention, being able to retain players and build that, build on top of them and bring guys in that are really bought into our culture. And then he’s able to really lead the charge. You can’t really have a player-led team until you lead your room first, so he knows the expectation and he’s able to really lead those guys now.” On Blake Burris’ athleticism You don’t expect it, and we demand it out of our room, but he really reaches the standard and helps set it every day. So, I think that’s awesome. He’s running sideline to sideline, we’re leaving him in there, long tempo plays, long drives in the tempo period, so I’m impressed with him right now. It has been good.” On the importance of interior play “It always starts from the inside-out. That’s what our defensive coordinator says, that’s what our head coach says also and that’s what we’re going to be.” Graduate DL Blake Burris On his transition to Florida Atlantic “Just coming here, it has been a blessing. I never expected to be out here, but having prior relationships with Coach Kittley, Coach (Stephen) Hamby, B-Lee (Brandon Lee), Kosi (Eldridge), Scho (Tyler Schovanec), a lot of the guys from my time at Texas Tech have made the transition a lot easier for me. And then just being in Florida, there are not too many places you can go that’s better than Boca Raton. As far as just being out here, the transition has been smooth, everybody’s super friendly, eager to help, and always asking me if I need anything. So, it has been really good.” On assimilating into the defensive line room “The guys have been awesome as far as just getting acclimated to the room. I think all the hard work we put in really allows you to bond very fast. The extra work, the early mornings, and the Saturdays have really helped in that aspect. And then as far as the defense goes, I feel like football is pretty much similar on all types of levels whenever you’re going from school to school, it’s just the difference in terminology and things of that nature. Fun fact, Coach (Dewhurst) played with my older brothers at Texas Tech, which is crazy little tidbit, but his scheme has been awesome. I think it’ll really allow us to play fast and make plays. But it hasn’t really been any difficulty trying to learn the system at all.” On knowing his role as an interior defensive lineman “I think it’s a mentality, anytime you talk about the interior defensive line. You’re going to be taking on double teams; your job isn’t always to make the play. But anytime you have a great defense, like there’s always a stout interior. If a team can run the ball down the middle, you don’t really have a defense. Just knowing your role and playing to the best of your ability, if you take on that mindset, the plays will come to you when you’re supposed to make your play.” 2026 SPRING ROSTER, COACHES AND SUPPORT STAFF Click HERE. 2026 SEASON TICKETS NOW ON SALE 2026 Florida Atlantic Football season tickets are now sale. Tickets start at $75 plus a $5 processing charge per seat, along with various premium seating options. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit FAUSports.com/tickets, email tickets@fau.edu, call 1-866-FAU-OWLS during normal business hours to order tickets or speak with a ticket sales representative. LADIES NIGHT Florida Atlantic football and Hagerty Family Head Football Coach Zach Kittley invites fans to participate in the 2026 Ladies Night presented by The Power of Sports, scheduled for Thursday, April 23 from 6-9 p.m. The event will take place at the Schmidt Family Complex, next to Flagler Credit Union Stadium at 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, Fla. Parking will be in Lot 5, north of the stadium. Dress for the fun and informative night in your best FAU athletic attire as participants will enjoy exclusive shopping, a silent auction, dinner and drinks, on-field drills, as well as time with the Owls’ coaching staff, their wives, and players. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. for the 6 p.m. event. Admission is $125 for single entry and $225 for a pair. To register, please click HERE. Sponsorships are also available.FOLLOW THE TEAM Stay informed by reading FAUSports.com or through football’s Twitter and Instagram accounts @FAUFootball. |
