8/13/2025 | Football
BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Atlantic football continues to edge closer and closer to the season opener scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 30 versus Maryland in College Park. That game is slated for noon and will be aired on the Big Ten network.
Wednesday’s practice was the full tilt and the last before a day off. The offense and defense battled back-and-forth, each flexing strengths and neither outright winning the day.
Hagerty Family Head Football Coach Zach Kittley praised the squad for its special teams work, especially the coverage guys who spend the practice continually running in the South Florida heat. Kittley gave a shout out to the offense for its final downfield drive and then the defense for keeping the Owls out of the end zone on first-and-goal at the two.
PRACTICE NOTABLES
- Redshirt junior WR Jayshon Platt had a great day, in part with a touchdown catch-and-go on a slant route. He then flashed again in special teams’ work.
- Freshman WR Branden Hoch collected a one-handed pass in the back of the end zone during the team period.
- Sophomore DL Gavench Marcelin made his presence felt with a huge tackle for a loss.
PLAY OF THE DAY
QUOTABLE
Defensive Coordinator Brett Dewhurst
On who has stood out in the last week of practice
“What has been good for us is we have had some guys out who were projected to be a starter or a rotational two, and they’ll get back here next week, so it has been really good to evaluate the three and fours that are getting a lot of reps…in the secondary, thinking of guys who have stood out in the scrimmage and throughout practice, Chris Keys, who comes from Mississippi State. He has played a lot of ball from Indiana to Mississippi State to here. He has played corner, nickel, dime, and safety so for us he is a guy who is going to cross train and play multiple positions. He can cover, [can bring] physicality and tackling, smart, so everything you want there. Jayden Sweeney is another guy who got here late this summer from Liberty, has all of the physical attributes that you want and is still learning the playbook but is flashing around in the run game and making some plays. We have to continue to get him up to speed. Same with Dillion Williams, who had a good first scrimmage. Damon Allen is a kid at nickel who has shown up quite a bit, light years ahead of where he was in the spring…At linebacker, getting some of the young guys that have been in a little bit, Khmari Johnson is a guy who has gotten a lot of reps this last week that has flashed some and so he is putting it altogether so that has been good for him. And then up front, a guy inside is Tycoolhill (Luman). He has showed up and he has gained a lot of weight from the spring. What you want to see is development. A lot of those guys at all positions from the spring or where they have started have come a long way.”
On Chris Tooley and Kyle Boylston
“Starting with Tooley, I love the kid. He is everything you want as a coach. He’s smart, tough, comes in every day hardworking, always has a smile on his face. He has been through so much, so all you want is success for that kid. I think it’s his time now…He’s going to play a lot and play a lot of different roles for us at nickel, can move him to safety, can move him to corner, big on special teams. He has the length too, anytime you have length at nickel. You can make some plays that other guys can’t. He has done a heck of a job. And then Kyle has come a long way from the spring as well, when he was a redshirt last year and wasn’t practicing and dual-sporting in the spring. His communication has been unbelievable out there with the checks and [he’s] continuing to work on some physicality. He has come a long way. He is a guy who is cross-training as well. We’re expecting big things from those guys…Both of those guys are fun to coach and are competitive.”
On the importance of physical versatility
“It’s huge. When you look at your numbers and we have 85 scholarships, 41 on defense, now how do you split it up? My history has been a little bit more when you get banged up front, you have some problems, so we spent a few more numbers inside to have those guys play more rotationally, so we spent a little less at DB and took more guys that can play multiple positions there. If guys are banged up, it’s not just the third corner that goes in, it might be the backup nickel that goes and plays corner in that situation. It’s the same thing up front as far as if you get to a pass rush situation, maybe it’s second or third team edge and maybe they come inside on third down and try to rush the passer. You have to be able to keep guys fresh, especially if you’re playing a lot of snaps or if you’re playing tempo teams, you want at least 22, if not 26 or 27 guys you can put out there in a game and trust.”
Redshirt Sophomore CB Chris Tooley
On what he is enjoying most from this fall camp
“Just bonding with a new group of guys, going after it every day, getting better each and every day, going through the knicks and knacks, just trying to get better as a group.”
On going up against Coach Kittley’s up-tempo offense
“It has been a challenge, something to get used to. Their tempo is crazy. They just run a play and are back on the ball. We really have to be on our Ps and Qs, [you] have to be alert. We just have to know what we’re doing.”
On the importance of communication
“That’s a big part of our defense, because if you don’t communicate, they’re going to have a free run on us and we don’t want that.”
Redshirt Freshman DB Kyle Boylston
On getting healthy and adjusting to the new defensive scheme
“Me being healthy is a blessing that I even have this opportunity. I wake up every day and tell myself that it’s a blessing that I get to do this. I don’t have to do this. I was chosen to do this. The jump from last year to this year, we do a lot of the same base coverages, but Coach Dewhurst has a lot of tricks to mess up the QB and this is my first year so I’m seeing a lot of stuff I have never seen before. I’m glad that I’m able to pick it up quickly, being able to get my teammates aligned, we all get each other. We have to talk to each other. We all get each other in the right position to go make the best play we can.”
On how cross-training positions help with communication
“It makes it way easier because sometimes I might see a signal of what I got, but if my guy next to me is talking, I can figure it out from there… It helps knowing the whole defense, even what the ‘backers have to do, because it makes you be in a better spot more consistently.”
On locking in on football after playing in the baseball season
“Being able to put everything I have into this, my teammates get more out of me, they don’t have to worry if I’m saving myself because I have a baseball game later. They know they get everything I have every day.”
PHOTO GALLERY
Gallery: (8-13-2025) Preseason Football Practice #12
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