FAU Owls open spring football practice with plenty of new faces
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BOCA RATON — Florida Atlantic’s football team kicked off spring practice this week, looking to build off a promising first season under head coach Zach Kittley.
Back on the field for the first time since November, the Owls got to work as they prepared for their annual spring game, which will take place on April 17.
FAU was 4-8 last year, only a one-win improvement from the season prior. However, the Owls showed plenty of promise, especially on the offensive side of the ball, in Kittley’s first season.
This time around, the Owls enter spring practice with a revamped roster and much higher expectations – their first bowl game since 2020.
“The ultimate goal is just to get better,” Kittley said. “Just looking forward to seeing how we can gel as a team and how we can find our best players to go win football games.”
Here is a look at the Owls as they enter spring football practice:
FAU football has 44 new players, including RB Leonard Farrow
The Owls have brought in plenty of new faces ahead of the 2026 season, with 14 — many of whom are already with the team for the spring — and 30 additions by way of the transfer portal.
One of those new faces is Leonard Farrow, who is part of a revamped running back room that saw the Owls lose leading-rushing Gemari Sands to the transfer portal.
Farrow hails from Division II Fairmont State, where he ran for 1,438 yards on 178 carries with 12 rushing touchdowns in 2025. Now, he makes the jump to the American Conference with Florida Atlantic.
“We all have pro aspirations, so that was the biggest reason why I wanted to take a step up,” Farrow said. “I’ve always been looked over, throughout my whole college career, even in high school. I just bet on myself.”
Kittley also mentioned that there was an emphasis on improving the trenches in the transfer portal, bringing in several impactful offensive and defensive linemen to get stronger up front.
“I wanted to build it from the inside out,” Kittley said. “We put a lot of our resources into those rooms. I think it’s just a night and day difference than we were last year.”
Despite departures, Owls retain QB Caden Veltkamp, others
The Owls were able to retain many notable pieces despite the losses they suffered in the transfer portal. Perhaps the most significant of those retentions is starting quarterback Caden Veltkamp.
Veltkamp is still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. Kittley said Veltkamp will be largely limited throughout the spring, but that his rehab is progressing very well. The 6-foot-6, 236-pound quarterback opted to return to Kittley’s air-raid style offense after a 2025 season that saw him throw for 3,641 yards, 24 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. The former Western Kentucky transfer also added four rushing touchdowns.
In the current state of college athletics where the transfer portal hangs over mid-major programs like a dark cloud, being able to retain a player such as Veltkamp was a monumental win for Kittley.
“The continuity is really kind of almost unheard of in the world we’re living in right now,” Kittley said. “To have that, I think, is super special for us.
Not only were the Owls able to retain Veltkamp, they also were able to bring back leading receiver Easton Messer. Another former Western Kentucky transfer, he and Veltkamp flexed their chemistry all season long. Messer finished with 104 receptions for 1,052 yards and 6 touchdowns.
“I think it’s huge,” Kittley said. “Just having those two guys back that have played a lot of college football. Clearly, they’ve got the chemistry there that isn’t going away.”
Defensive lineman Wilky Denaud, another returner from last season, briefly entered his name in the transfer portal. He explained his reasoning after his first spring practice.
“I want to finish what I started,” Denaud said. “I’ve been here two years. Let me finish it with a degree, let me finish it under a coach that I can trust, under a coach that I know wants the best interest for me.”
Kittley also was able to retain his entire coaching staff, only furthering the team’s continuity as the Owls continue their rebuild.
“It’s very rare in the world we live in,” Kittley said. “I can’t put a price tag on how important that is.”
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: FAU football coach Zach Kittley hopes second year will be better
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