Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Settling on QB at center stage
What started as a promising football season for FAU in 2018 ended with a 5-7 disappointment, but that is all behind the Owls and coach Lane Kiffin now.
The 2019 season for FAU gets into gear on Thursday when the Owls report for fall camp, before they take the field for their first practice on Friday morning.
Training camp can reveal a lot about what to expect from an upcoming season. Here are five storylines heading into camp at FAU:
1.Can Chris Robison reassert himself as starting quarterback? FAU’s incumbent starting quarterback Chris Robison had a tumultuous offseason. He was reinstated in June from a suspension that lasted the entirety of spring drills and stemmed from a sexualbattery allegation that was later withdrawn.
Back with the team during summer conditioning for more than a month ahead of camp, Robison will look to reassert himself as the man worthy of the job. He has been in this situation before; last year he earned the starter role over De’Andre Johnson and Rafe Peavey.
Now a redshirt sophomore, Robison will be going up against junior Justin Agner and redshirt sophomore Nick Tronti — neither of whom stood out during spring competition.
2.Making up for lost RB production: Devin “Motor” Singletary and Kerrith Whyte combined for more than 2,200 rushing yards last season and both are now in the NFL. They became FAU’s first two players to get drafted after leaving early for the draft.
That production isn’t just going to replenish
itself.
Running back BJ Emmons, a former five-star recruit out of high school who played his first collegiate season at Alabama back when Kiffin was offensive coordinator with the Crimson Tide, can seize the opportunity. Former St. Thomas Aquinas standout James Charles, who put together a strong spring, is also a top candidate for a lot of reps.
The backs will have a strong offensive line in front of them, with sixthyear senior Junior Diaz at center and senior Brandon Walton moving from right tackle to left tackle.
3.How big of a role will tight ends play in the offense? Two-tight end sets were on display plenty last season. Now Harrison Bryant and John Raine are both seniors, and the Owls lost leading receiver Jovon Durante, who declared a year early for the NFL draft but went undrafted.
An added wrinkle was shown in the spring, with Bryant lined up out wide, which could create major mismatches. Kiffin comically quipped that a reporter exposed FAU’s game plan for the opener upon asking about Bryant lining up as a receiver during a spring scrimmage.
The Owls will look for major contributions from drastically different-looking wideouts in the 5-foot-8, 155-pound Willie Wright and 6-foot-4, 210-pound John Mitchell. Wright possesses the speed and quickness to take jet sweeps and screens, and Mitchell’s frame can make him an extraordinary red-zone target.
4.Will improvements on defense be visible in
camp? It’s no secret FAU’s defense needs to be better in 2019, and that’s why Glenn Spencer is in Boca Raton as the new defensive coordinator.
Linebackers Rashad Smith and Akileis Leroy will spearhead the defense. They have a veteran group of fourth- and fifth-year defensive linemen in front of them, and junior cornerback James Pierre, a Deerfield Beach product, is a capable leader in the secondary.
5.Can FAU get decent special teams play? “Disaster” and “freak show” were among the many descriptions Kiffin used for his special teams unit a season ago amid missed field goals, blocked punts and a number of other blunders. That included once when Singletary was asked to return a punt for the injured Wright — but Singletary was wearing the same No. 5 as Ahman Ross, who also was on the field. FAU was penalized.
Unfortunately, one of the few bright spots for the Owls on special teams last year was Whyte’s kick returns, but he’s now with the Chicago Bears. FAU will have to find a replacement for him.
Kicker Vladimir Rivas and punter Sebastian Riella now have a year of experience under their belts, and hope to turn things around this season.