The Palm Beach Post

Ex-Dwyer star’s spring work could yield playing time

- By Jake Elman

BOCA RATON — Lane Kiffin described Florida Atlantic’s sudden rise from perennial doormat to Conference USA champions last season as having been a year “full of stories.” As FAU prepares for its spring game on Saturday, Kiffin may have already found the Owls’ newest story.

Wide receiver Dante Cousart, a former star at Dwyer High who joined the Owls as a walk-on two years ago, has had a strong spring and Kiffin believes the rising redshirt junior could start this season as the No. 2 receiver behind sophomore star Willie Wright.

“He’s made a ton of plays,” Kiffin said. “Great energy, much like Willie, the guy’s kind of flocked him and he’s a pretty neat story.”

Never mind that Cousart, who spent his freshman season at Assumption College (Mass.) before returning home to Florida, has yet to record a catch at the Division I level. Kiffin said Cousart has already shown enough, both on the field and with his work ethic, that he could easily go from scout team to having an opportunit­y to start for an Owls team which averaged 40.6 points per game last year.

With several other receivers battling minor injuries early in camp, a list which included likely starters DeAndre McNeal and Jovon Durante, Cousart stepped up and became a favorite target of quarterbac­ks De’Andre Johnson and Chris Robison. FAU has experiment­ed lately with using Cousart in option and trick plays, a job which Wright and the since-graduated Kamrin Solomon had last season.

“I think I’ve had a pretty good spring so far,” Cousart said. “They’ve given me an opportunit­y to show what I can do. I think I’ll definitely be able to piggyback off this and hopefully have a great fall camp.”

Cousart had one of the spring’s more impressive OWLS SPRING GAME Saturday, 4 p.m.

FAU Stadium

touchdowns on Tuesday, barely staying in bounds to haul in a pass from Wright, who spent the end of practice taking reps at quarterbac­k. After hearing the defense argued the call and said he didn’t stay in bounds, Cousart flashed a knowing grin and said he’d “let the tape decide that.”

“I’ve always been the underdog,” Cousart said. “I have five brothers so I think that’s where I get it from.”

If Cousart wants to continue rising on the depth chart, Saturday’s spring game would be an ideal time to make plays. McNeal and Durante have long since returned, but redshirt junior Tavaris Harrison is still out with an undisclose­d injury. FAU is also set to bring in junior college transfers Nero Nelson (Copiah-Lincoln, Miss.) and DeSean Holmes (College of the Canyons, Calif.) this summer.

Holmes told The Post by text on Tuesday night that he will arrive in Boca Raton next month to begin his summer classes. Bringing a graduate transfer in this summer, as Kiffin did last year with John Franklin III, is not realistica­lly out of the equation either for the Owls.

“The coaches really make sure we know that (competitio­n is coming) and they’ve helped me gain confidence,” Cousart said. “I wake up and I gotta make plays.”

 ?? CONTRIBUTE­D ?? Dante Cousart, a former star at Dwyer High, was a walk-on at FAU two years ago.
CONTRIBUTE­D Dante Cousart, a former star at Dwyer High, was a walk-on at FAU two years ago.

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