A random rain shower poured on the practice field at the Schmidt Family Complex during the morning, but that didn’t stop the Florida Atlantic football team from completing their fifth session of fall camp on what was mainly a warm and cloudy Tuesday afternoon. “What we’re trying to do is build a competitive advantage for our home games because we know it’s going to be hot, and we’re working harder than we’ve ever worked before,” offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Charlie Frye said. The main difference Frye has seen from the offense since the spring game is the level of urgency they now have. “The urgency of knowing what we’re about to do this fall and what we believe we can do this fall. The urgency within the unit, the urgency of the way we practice, the urgency when we walk through, and the urgency of the mental focus in the meetings, that’s the biggest difference for me from spring to fall,” Frye said. Here are some notes from today’s media availability. OwlBytes for August 8th Receiving Reps The offense showed some indications of who could be the leading options at wide receiver. When Casey Thompson’s unit went, Lajohntay Wester and Je’Quan Burton were positioned at opposite sides of the field. The same went for Tony Johnson and BJ Alexander, who were part of Daniel Richardson’s rotation. “We got speed, we got quickness, and we got a lot of guys who can make plays,” Charlie Frye said. As we mentioned back in the spring in our wide receivers segment, Jabari Smith is now with the team after making their commitments earlier this year. You can read that here . The Price Is Right The receiving group also gained a significant addition in Devin Price (pictured top, right), who transferred from Texas A&M earlier this summer. He spent the last three seasons as a reserve player with the Aggies, making five receptions for a total of 59 yards in 30 appearances. “He’s doing a good job. He’s got great size and catching the ball well,” Frye said. Looking to take advantage of the opportunity at FAU as he competes for one of the starting spots at wide receiver, Price displayed plenty of pace with his 6-3, 200 lb frame, making the right movements and shifting his position to make his catches with ease throughout today’s session. Parrying On The Run Running backs coach Chris Perkins (pictured below) had his players go through an in-game drill. The scenario in question had them use their strength to hold off the opposing defense and stop the run from getting shut down via tackles or dead ball. Among the group, Kobe Lewis and Zuberi Mobley were the standouts who did the drill with solid execution. Larry McCammon III was notably absent from the unit with today being his graduation day, completing a bachelor’s degree in health administration. Star Watch: WR Lajohntay Wester – Wester (pictured top, left) showcased a lot of his best abilities during the 2022 season. He reached career-highs in receiving yards with 719, rushing yards with 106, punt return yards with 136, and touchdowns with nine as he played in all 12 games for the Owls. “He sets the tone in practice just with how hard this guy works. It’s incredible to see the desire for him to be great,” Frye said. He was also named First Team wide receiver and Third Team punt return All-AAC by Phil Steele’s Magazine while receiving Third Team punt returner and Fourth Team honors from Athlon Magazine. Final Word Frye allowed the offense to gain chemistry with one another throughout the spring, and is using that to full effect when he stresses to them the importance of fulfilling their roles and responsibilities on and off the field. With the receiving group boasting a lot of depth, he understands that plenty of distribution will have to be made to allow the players at the position to flourish within the offense. How this will be executed once the regular season begins could be one to look forward to when it comes to the Owls’ offensive production. Coach’s Corner Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Charlie Frye and offensive lineman Kamaar Bell and wide receiver Je’Quan Burton headline today’s Coach’s Corner. > For the first time of fall camp, the team will be wearing pads when they walk onto the field Wednesday morning for the sixth session.
