Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
10 things we learned from Lane Kiffin’s first FAU spring
Boca Raton – This spring Florida Atlantic got its first taste of what the football program will look like under coach Lane Kiffin, who completed his first spring in Boca Raton recently with the defense’s 62-33 victory over the offense in the spring game April 22.
The Owls had to install both a new offense and a new defense in addition to monitoring a quarterback battle. What did we learn about FAU this spring?
1. Jason Driskel won’t give up his starting job easily.
Kiffin did not name a starting quarterback, but Driskel capped his spring with a stellar performance in Saturday’s spring game, completing 19 of 25 passes for 344 yards. He threw three touchdown passes and did not throw an interception while playing exclusively with the first-team offense. Throughout the spring, Kiffin praised Driskel’s consistency and said the new offense — with shorter drops and quicker throws — has helped the redshirt junior.
2. De’Andre Johnson showed flashes of potential.
The junior college transfer Johnson entered spring as the challenger to Driskel, and came to Boca Raton with high expectations after a dominant season last year at East Mississippi Community College. At times during the spring’s 15 practices, he showed off his speed and arm strength, revealing why he signed with Florida State out of high school. But Johnson struggled in the spring game, throwing for 83 yards on 8 of 15 passing and an interception. Kiffin said Johnson may have been paying too much attention to the pass rush. Johnson also couldn’t fully utilize his athleticism since quarterbacks were not live this spring.
3. The Owls will go fast … very fast.
New offensive coordinator Kendal Briles brought his up-tempo, spread attack from Baylor to Boca Raton this spring, translating to little down time for FAU’s offense. The Owls have run spread offenses before, but Briles’ version figures to be the fastest. Baylor led the country last season with 88.6 plays per game, while FAU ran 71.4.
4. The deep stable of running backs will demand carries.
Maybe you knew this before spring practice, but it was reinforced over the past five weeks. Gregory “Buddy” Howell Jr., Devin “Motor” Singletary and Kerrith Whyte Jr. headline a deep running back corps and each bring something different to the group. Howell is the big back. Singletary is the shifty back. Whyte is the speedy one. Kiffin said Whyte surprised him this spring because he had heard so much about Howell (828 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2016) and Singletary (1,021 yards and 12 TDs).
5. Kamrin Solomon looks like a different receiver.
Within the new FAU offense, the senior Solomon has found a home in the slot after spending time on the outside under the previous coaching staff. With one-handed jumping catches, Solomon impressed not only Kiffin but also Driskel and Johnson throughout the spring. Last season, he only had 12 catches for 69 yards and called his season “nonexistent.”
6. The offensive line will have to re-gel.
As spring progressed, redshirt senior Antonyo Woods became more comfortable with his new spot at center, eliminating the dribbled snaps that littered the first few days. FAU also welcomed back Reggie Bain at left tackle after he missed the 2016 season due to a broken hip. Kiffin said Bain was a player who could play both left and right tackle, and should regain his conditioning with more time. But the Owls missed four offensive linemen this spring (Bryan Beck, Tarrick Thomas, Jack Breshears and Richard Williams) and welcome junior college transfer Joey Palmer.
7. The defense took a step forward this spring.
Last season’s FAU defense ranked among the worst in the nation in a variety of categories, including points per game (123rd out of 128), yards per game (124), rushing yards per game (119) and passing efficiency (126). But defensive coordinator Chris Kiffin’s crew dominated at times this spring and ultimately won the spring game, 62-33, using a modified scoring system. He installed a 4-2-5 base defense that repeatedly slowed the Owls offense and caused turnovers during practice.
8. And will receive reinforcements before the season.
During Saturday’s spring game, the Owls played without a handful of potential contributors on defense, including safety Jalen Young, linebackers Azeez AlShaair, Khantrell Burden and Kris Harris and defensive linemen Ray Ellis and Hunter Snyder. Al-Shaair (113 tackles) and Young (100) were FAU’s top two tacklers last season, while Snyder chipped in two sacks.
9. FAU found a hidden gem in LB Hosea Barnwell.
An unfamiliar name took the field with the first-team defense during the spring game: linebacker Hosea Barnwell. The walk-on joined the football team this semester and (partly due to the rash of injuries at linebacker) worked his way up the depth chart. Barnwell racked up eight tackles in the spring game. His playing time may diminish in the fall with the return of Azeez Al-Shaair, Khantrell Burden and Kris Harris — along with the addition of junior college transfer Carson Lydon.
10. The defensive line finished strong, but still needs improvement.
The pass rush had a solid spring game, racking up eight sacks, though quarterbacks were marked down whenever they were touched. Kiffin previously said the defensive line was an area of concern and probably one of FAU’s “least talented groups coming in, as far as what was returning from last year,” but he praised the pass rush after the spring game. Haiden Nagel and Nick Internicola have been working with the first-team defense, but should be challenged by junior college transfers Ernest Bagner and Tim Bonner.