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Practices Underway for Florida Atlantic Football
8/5/2026 5:22:00 PM | Football
BOCA RATON, Fla. – Storm is a word often used to describe a football team taking the field. Wednesday morning's storm was not a good word for second-year Florida Atlantic Hagerty Family Head Coach Zach Kittley, who was forced to keep his team inside due to storms rolling in off the South Florida coast, delaying the start of the program's first fall practice of the 2026 season.
The Owls worked through pre-practice meetings during the delay and were greeted by President Adam Hasner, who stayed to observed beginning of practice, which began shortly after 9 a.m. The Owls switched up the first part of practice but then returned to a Kittley high-tempo practice schedule to fully complete the day's work.
FAU used the practice time for tackling work, individual drills, more special team work than Kittley has previously used, and of course battled amongst themselves in multiple team sessions. The ending sessions were competitive with neither side of the ball coming away as clear winners. The day ended with fifth-year WR Easton Messer collecting a pass from grad QB Caden Veltkamp.
QUOTABLE
Hagerty Family Head Football Coach Zach Kittley
On the first day of fall camp
"[With] Staff continuity, expectations are a little bit easier. All of the coaches [are] back, a lot of people have been here so they know how practice rolls. We did tweak a couple of things this year with how we start practice a little bit different, so we are kind of working through that a little bit. But definitely a lot more comfort and a lot less nerves coming out here day one compared to a year ago."
On using crowd noise in practice
"Just prepar[ing]. We are playing in front of 90,000 [fans] game one in Gainesville, and you have some guys that have not played a lot of football, at a few areas too, they are going to play a lot of snaps for us. We just want to try to get them used to that. I do not know if we can really ever make it actually like 90,000 and maybe a little 'Won't Back Down' coming at you at the start of the fourth quarter, but we are going to try to make it as much we can. We are going to play in some environments this year and a couple of our away games that are going to be rowdy, definitely game one, Army is going to be a big game too. So we just want to get those guys prepared early on for having to communicate. That is the biggest thing. Now we are having to be louder, communicate with our hands more, and so we are just trying to work all those things with some of these guys that have not been in those kinds of environments."
On Veltkamp
"He is in a really good spot. Physically, he has been cleared since the spring game, but we just did not want to rush him out there. I did not want that to be the first day that he got to knock some rust off. Just protecting him from that standpoint, but he has been cleared. He has been throwing to these guys all summer long and physically he is in probably the best shape he has ever been in. He came into yesterday at a report day at 245 pounds and I think last year, day one, he was about 229. I wanted to armor his body a little bit more just because it is natural at the quarterback position that you are going to take some hits and he is a guy that can tuck it and make plays for us when we need to. And so, I am really excited with where he is at. I thought he had a solid day one, definitely room to improve. But again, this has been the first time we are going full speed for him really since ECU [last season]. So I was proud of where he is at. He stepped up today multiple times for me as a leader, just being a little bit more vocal…I have been challenging him that I need his voice. He did that at times today and I told him at the end of practice that was one thing I was very proud of today."
Graduate DB Damarius McGhee
On entering his final season of college football and what is different about his unit from a year ago
"It is very exciting building these relationships with these guys from last year and just coming in this year knowing that we have the guys to do what we need to do this year. I definitely feel like I am in way better shape than I was this time last year…I am just trying to stick with that and stay on top of the game, try to help out the receivers, telling them what they need to do a little better and even them returning the favor back to me."
On why this year is different
"We want it more as a whole. Even when some plays I am not on the field, I just sit back and watch o-linemen, d-linemen, just to see the mindset of everyone. I feel like that we are going to do something special this year."
Fifth-Year WR Dominique Henry
On his leadership in the wideout room
I feel like I have seen it all, guys going in and out with the transfer portal, young guys coming in. It is always good to coach them up and tell them what they need to work on and be that leader for them, a guy they can look up to. I always try to lead by example and tell them what they need to work on.
On his main emphasis for the room
"Just energy and togetherness, family, competing for your brother, loving one another."
PRACTICE GALLERYGallery: (8-5-2026) FB Fall 2026 #1
2026 SUMMER ROSTER, COACHES AND SUPPORT STAFF
Click HERE.
2026 SUMMER PROSPECTUS
Click HERE.
PURCHASE YOUR 2026 SEASON TICKETS NOW
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.
FOLLOW THE TEAM
Stay informed by reading FAUSports.com or through football's Twitter and Instagram accounts @FAUFootball.
The Owls worked through pre-practice meetings during the delay and were greeted by President Adam Hasner, who stayed to observed beginning of practice, which began shortly after 9 a.m. The Owls switched up the first part of practice but then returned to a Kittley high-tempo practice schedule to fully complete the day's work.
FAU used the practice time for tackling work, individual drills, more special team work than Kittley has previously used, and of course battled amongst themselves in multiple team sessions. The ending sessions were competitive with neither side of the ball coming away as clear winners. The day ended with fifth-year WR Easton Messer collecting a pass from grad QB Caden Veltkamp.
QUOTABLE
Hagerty Family Head Football Coach Zach Kittley
On the first day of fall camp
"[With] Staff continuity, expectations are a little bit easier. All of the coaches [are] back, a lot of people have been here so they know how practice rolls. We did tweak a couple of things this year with how we start practice a little bit different, so we are kind of working through that a little bit. But definitely a lot more comfort and a lot less nerves coming out here day one compared to a year ago."
On using crowd noise in practice
"Just prepar[ing]. We are playing in front of 90,000 [fans] game one in Gainesville, and you have some guys that have not played a lot of football, at a few areas too, they are going to play a lot of snaps for us. We just want to try to get them used to that. I do not know if we can really ever make it actually like 90,000 and maybe a little 'Won't Back Down' coming at you at the start of the fourth quarter, but we are going to try to make it as much we can. We are going to play in some environments this year and a couple of our away games that are going to be rowdy, definitely game one, Army is going to be a big game too. So we just want to get those guys prepared early on for having to communicate. That is the biggest thing. Now we are having to be louder, communicate with our hands more, and so we are just trying to work all those things with some of these guys that have not been in those kinds of environments."
On Veltkamp
"He is in a really good spot. Physically, he has been cleared since the spring game, but we just did not want to rush him out there. I did not want that to be the first day that he got to knock some rust off. Just protecting him from that standpoint, but he has been cleared. He has been throwing to these guys all summer long and physically he is in probably the best shape he has ever been in. He came into yesterday at a report day at 245 pounds and I think last year, day one, he was about 229. I wanted to armor his body a little bit more just because it is natural at the quarterback position that you are going to take some hits and he is a guy that can tuck it and make plays for us when we need to. And so, I am really excited with where he is at. I thought he had a solid day one, definitely room to improve. But again, this has been the first time we are going full speed for him really since ECU [last season]. So I was proud of where he is at. He stepped up today multiple times for me as a leader, just being a little bit more vocal…I have been challenging him that I need his voice. He did that at times today and I told him at the end of practice that was one thing I was very proud of today."
Graduate DB Damarius McGhee
On entering his final season of college football and what is different about his unit from a year ago
"It is very exciting building these relationships with these guys from last year and just coming in this year knowing that we have the guys to do what we need to do this year. I definitely feel like I am in way better shape than I was this time last year…I am just trying to stick with that and stay on top of the game, try to help out the receivers, telling them what they need to do a little better and even them returning the favor back to me."
On why this year is different
"We want it more as a whole. Even when some plays I am not on the field, I just sit back and watch o-linemen, d-linemen, just to see the mindset of everyone. I feel like that we are going to do something special this year."
Fifth-Year WR Dominique Henry
On his leadership in the wideout room
I feel like I have seen it all, guys going in and out with the transfer portal, young guys coming in. It is always good to coach them up and tell them what they need to work on and be that leader for them, a guy they can look up to. I always try to lead by example and tell them what they need to work on.
On his main emphasis for the room
"Just energy and togetherness, family, competing for your brother, loving one another."
PRACTICE GALLERY
2026 SUMMER ROSTER, COACHES AND SUPPORT STAFF
Click HERE.
2026 SUMMER PROSPECTUS
Click HERE.
PURCHASE YOUR 2026 SEASON TICKETS NOW
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.
FOLLOW THE TEAM
Stay informed by reading FAUSports.com or through football's Twitter and Instagram accounts @FAUFootball.
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