Florida Atlantic’s Fall camp continued on Tuesday as the team is another day closer to kickoff under first year head coach Zach Kittley. With only a few days left before the Owls first “mock game week” positional battles are getting ready to be solidified.
We talked to coach Kittley and QB Zach Gibson during today’s media availability as the quarterback room is the highlight of Day 11’s positional preview.
Kittley’s Comments
Last season, FAU’s outlook for the quarterback room was murky. A positional battle, injuries, and a deflated offense led to production from the QB room being very limited.
2025 looks to be a lot better for Florida Atlantic as the quarterback room has two transfers, one freshmen, and three returners from last season. With chemistry being a must and all six having to learn Kittley’s offense, it has created a fun battle at camp for the remaining backup roles in the quarterbacks room.
The battle for the QB1 spot seemed to be locked up when Caden Veltkamp showed up in Boca Raton. On Tuesday, The Owls Nest’s Rick Henderson got coach Kittley to say the words all FAU fans have been waiting to hear, “We’re gonna run out there with Caden Veltkamp. That’s official.”
For the remaining backup spots in the QB room, Coach Kittley shared that they have the “opportunity to show what they got.”
It is a lot for anyone that will go out on the field as the quarterback for a team and Coach Kittley highlighted that by sharing, “I don’t think it’s a complicated offense at all, especially for all positions other than quarterback. The quarterbacks got a lot on his plate because I give him full autonomy at the line of scrimmage, to see a bad front, to see a bad coverage, and go to work. So that’s more of the teaching piece, which is kind of what I’ve hung my hat on, is trying to get guys to understand defense, see defense, and it’s more about the player than the play as well.”
Kittley also shared his philosophy on red zone scoring, “When we get in the red zone, my philosophy is ‘put the ball in the end zone.’ Don’t kick field goals. You know, we got an unbelievable field goal kicker in Garrison. I trust him with everything in me, but at the end of the day, I want to put the ball in the end zone. If you can put the ball in the end zone. You’re going to win football games.”
With an aggressive mindset at the helm, needing trust in the QB is all the more important if the Owls are going to reach a bowl game.
The Quarterbacks
Key Returning Owl
Kasen Weisman – Redshirt Sophomore, 6’2, 190 Ibs
The redshirt sophomore made 7 appearances in 2024 with one start in the Owls loss to Temple. Overall, the 2024 year was a learning curve for Weisman as he threw for 2 touchdowns and 416 yards passing. The Georgia native also threw three interceptions as he finished the season with a pass completion percentage of 53%.
Comparable to last season, Weisman will most likely not be seeing the field this year. With the quarterback battle still going on, Weisman is in line for the QB3 slot, same as last year.
Remaining Owls Returners
Michael Valentino – Redshirt Freshman, 6’1, 195 Ibs
Carson Cruver – Redshirt Sophomore, 6’3, 200 Ibs
Owls Newcomers
Caden Veltkamp – Redshirt Junior, 6’6, 236 Ibs
There has been a lot of buzz around the new Owl since day one as Veltkamp (main picture, Rick Henderson) has been expected to be the FAU starter. Recruited by Zach Kittley during his time at Western Kentucky, Veltkamp is familiar with the “air raid” type of offense.
That offensive scheme was a main factor in the redshirt junior being named the CUSA Offensive Player of the Year after putting up 3,108 yards in the air with 25 touchdowns. Veltkamp also rushed for 150 yards and accounted for 7 more touchdowns with his legs.
The praise has been high for the former Hilltopper, but he still has his own work to do. Earlier in camp, Veltkamp highlighted his footwork as something he has focused on, “We watched our first spring scrimmage in the QB room the other day and I was just watching my feet and that was like one of my things coming here. Kit was very anal about my feet being a certain way for certain concepts and it wasn’t necessarily like that at Western Kentucky. I was kind of given the freedom to drop however I felt I needed; so my feet have gotten so much better and it’s helped me to be on time…”
PLAYER INTERVIEWS from NIGHT 6⃣ of @FAUFootball Fall Camp with QB Caden Veltkamp and DL Bryce Langston 🦉🎙️🦉 pic.twitter.com/32e0jcyzaj
— FAU Owls Nest (@FAU_Owls_Nest) August 6, 2025
The role for Veltkamp is new for him. In previous seasons he either entered the year as a backup or in a battle for the number one role. “I’ve never been like ‘the dude.’ And now being in the situation where I have a lot of guys looking at me and looking for me to be the leader and to be that guy. You know just to have a lot of confidence to be the guy. I’d say that’s the biggest difference just that there’s people looking at me and they know that I’m the starting quarterback so they’re watching everything that I do and I would say that’s the biggest difference though. I’m actually not necessarily competing with anybody here.”
With lofty expectations for Veltkamp it can become worrisome that he may not fit the mold, but he should do just fine. While American play is different from CUSA, a good quarterback translates in nearly every facet. If you want to look back at history, the 2023 CUSA offensive Player of the Year was Diego Pavia, now a standout in the SEC for Vanderbilt. Veltkamp followed a similar path and has put himself in a solid situation with Florida Atlantic.
Zach Gibson – Graduate, 6’2, 210 Ibs
On Tuesday, we had the opportunity to talk to Gibson on his mindset heading into Fall Camp. With time spent at Akron, Georgia Tech, and Georgia State, Gibson knows the ins and outs of preseason practice, but he shared, “Obviously you got to have fun with it. I mean, it’s football. We’re out there doing something that we all love, and a lot of kids don’t get the opportunity to do so just, I guess, staying grounded. Understand that we’re blessed to be out here, and to go attack each rep at a time. We’ve been having a lot of fun out there, for sure.”
Coach Kittley also talked about Gibson on Tuesday, “We were walking in together, and I told him ‘this is your best day you’ve had.’ We’re done installing at this point, so the game is probably slowing down a little bit for him. And he started to get more comfortable and familiar with how I operate and how I want the plays to go and how I call plays. He’s been really good, he’s a great guy. The quarterback room loves him. I’m a huge believer in the camaraderie in that room, because at the quarterback position, most of the time, if you stay healthy, clearly, one guy plays. And so we got to have each other’s backs, we got to love each other in that room and encourage each other.”
For Gibson that role is familiar to him. During his time at Akron and Georgia State, the 24-year-old spent time coming off the bench for injury or when needed to step up. With his experience, it makes sense for Gibson to be a leader in the room. While the graduate is currently in line for the QB2 spot, the competition is not completely over, but it would take a drastic situation to change that most likely.
Jordan Magwood – Freshman, 6’0, 195 Ibs
Magwood joined the Owls, rated a 3-star recruit out of Carrollwood Day in Tampa, FL. While he has not been a notable name during camp, he is the youngest QB on the roster.
Although not expected to play this season, Magwood’s development over the year could lead to him finding a spot on the QB depth chart in 2026.
Up Next
Day 12 will be special teams and defense focused as DC Brett Dewhurst and special teams coach Tyler Schovanec are expected to speak on Wednesday. Our positional preview for the day will highlight the remainder of the secondary in the safeties.
