This past offseason Florida Atlantic Football underwent massive changes, bringing in a new coaching staff, as well as a boatload of new players, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
When a team brings in the amount of players that the Owls did, it can be hard to establish yourself and rise up the depth chart unless you truly earn it and for Cornerback Terez Reid, that was exactly the case.
Reid transferred to FAU in April, originally participating in Spring Ball with UTEP before re-entering the transfer portal and ending up in Boca Raton. Prior to UTEP, and now FAU, Reid spent the first 3 seasons of his collegiate career at Grand Valley State, playing in 13 games in all 3 seasons, recording 95 total tackles, 5.5 for loss, 4 interceptions and 22 passes defended for his career.
That experience has been evident right away, as Reid shot up the depth chart despite not participating in Spring Ball for FAU and according to FAU Head Coach Zach Kittley, Reid’s Leadership was a big factor in earning a starting role.
“He’s got leadership, he’s physical, he loves football, and he’s just been kind of one of those guys from day one. He flies around, he doesn’t take plays off, He’s a guy that just has extreme effort all the time. He’s played some football, and he’s played at a pretty high level. And so to be honest with you, he just kind of came in and ran with it. Every opportunity that he had, repping with the threes from day one to starting…He just started rolling. And he just never let that go,” Kittley said.
The Owls brought in 10 new defensive backs this offseason, having an open competition for both outside cornerback jobs throughout the summer and fall camp. Although 3 of Reid’s teammates he was competing against had transferred in from “power” programs, Reid’s experience across 3 seasons at GVSU were live reps that couldn’t be matched.
Reid had to take ownership both on and off the field, needing to take more than the normal amount of credits to remain eligible, while also working hard to move up the depth chart and master the playbook. He was able to do both of those things and according to FAU defensive coordinator Brett Dewhurst, Reid’s go-getter mentality was evident right away.
“He took 27 hours this summer to be eligible. He’s played a lot of football, it is important to him, he came around real quick. You can tell he’s a mature kid, you could tell quickly that he’s a guy that is going to get it done. A guy you love to be around, he’s competitive, smart and loves ball. We were fortunate to get him,” Dewhurst said.
At 5 ’10, Reid isn’t going to be the tallest defender on the field, however his physicality and knowledge of the game allowed him to excel while at Grand Valley State and it will be those same traits he will have to rely on to find success at FAU.
Although Brett Dewhurst’s defensive scheme is still shrouded in a bit of mystery, one thing that is for certain is that his defense will feature multiple packages that will allow the Owls to best utilize their wide array of talent. Because of the multiple looks the FAU defense will provide, it requires players to have a firm grasp of the playbook which is something Reid was able to gain very early on.
Outside of handling business in the classroom, Reid knew he had to get to work right away to earn a starting role on the defense, so he put his head down and did exactly that, noting he did what he had to do to set himself apart.
“The first thing for me, coming in and knowing what you gotta do on the defense, that really sets you apart. I got here in May and all summer, just worked on staying in the playbook, meeting with coaches, watching the extra film, just making sure I know what I’m doing out there. So when it’s time to play ball, I can go out there and play fast,” Reid said.
The additions keep on rolling for FAU and on Friday they added a new DB to their room. Former UTEP CB and 3-star Terez Reid announced he will transfer to #FAU 🦉
— FAU Owls Nest (@FAU_Owls_Nest) April 26, 2025
More on the new DB & hear from @TerezReid2 on what led him to Boca via @RLastellaReport ✍️https://t.co/3KfDTknKU1
Reid will look to go out and play fast on Saturday as the work he has put in this Summer has earned him a chance to make an impact right away in game one.