Florida Atlantic Owls spring football wraps up amid optimism for 2026

BOCA RATON — Florida Atlantic’s football team wrapped up its spring season on Friday with its annual Spring Showcase, giving fans a preview of what’s to come this fall. Under second-year coach Zach Kittley , the Owls are looking to take a step forward after going 4-8 last season. Throughout the spring, that sense of improvement was more than palpable.

FAU ended its practice season with a four-quarter, running clock scrimmage between the offense and the defense, presenting a big opportunity for some of the team’s newcomers. More FAU football: Caden Veltkamp recovering from shoulder surgery, sits out FAU spring “I thought we played pretty well,” Kittley said. “You’ll see a lot more here in September.

” Here are five things we learned about FAU’s football team this spring: Retention is a key component of this year’s team Florida Atlantic retained a large amount of its production on both sides of the ball, the most notable quarterback Caden Veltkamp — who was limited throughout the spring due to his recovery from a shoulder injury — and widereceiver Easton Messer. While the pair of former Western Kentucky transfers are earning most of the attention, other notable returners such as running back Kaden Shields-Dutton, wide receiver Dom Henry and linebacker Leon Hart are all in line to have high-impact roles later this year. Furthering the familiarity, every assistant coach from Kittley’s staff is returning for the 2026 season, something that Kittley isn’t taking for granted.

“It’s very rare to have your entire full-time coaching staff back in the world we live in right now,” Kittley said. “For me to have that come back was huge for me. " FAU’s backup QB’s show signs of promise throughout the spring With Veltkamp not suited up, the Owls' backup quarterbacks moved up the depth chart, gaining some valuable first- and second-team reps.