FAU is making a move at quarterback. Tom Herman announced Tuesday afternoon that Colorado transfer Kasen Weisman would be seeing an increased workload alongside Cam Fancher against Wagner.
Herman mentioned Weisman’s improvement as a passer throughout the summer and that he has battled through adversity to get to a point where he is able to make a contribution to the offense.
“Since he's gotten here, he's gotten a lot more zip on the ball. I think he's playing with more confidence now, when he gets in, simply from this a guy that was sitting in his living room, thinking he was probably never going to play football again, and I don't know they wanted me telling me telling that story or not, but so if you didn't, I apologize. But I think it's pretty cool that, the growth that we've seen from him, and not just emotionally and maturity wise, but really physically too, the ball is coming off of his hands with more zip."
"Like I said, he's playing a little bit more confidence now than he had, in terms of moving in the pocket, eyes, in the right place, that kind of stuff. So I don't know that skill set wise, you're going to see a whole lot different, you know. And I just, I think it's just going to be a matter of, does he see the game any differently, maybe, or make different decisions? But, he's a good runner, a good passer. He's not going to throw it through that wall, and he's not going to run for 340 but he's not a statue. He does everything really well, let’s, put it that way. I don't know that he's got one great tangible quality, but he’s got a lot of really good ones,” Herman said.
Weisman, a redshirt freshman from Douglasville, Georgia, transferred to FAU following one season at Colorado where he did not receive any action during his redshirt year. He was the 27th ranked Dual-Threat QB in the 2023 class, ranked as a 3 star and chose Colorado over Cal, Tulane, Kansas and others.
A standout at South Paulding High School, Weisman started 2 seasons at SPHS where he threw for 4,432 yards, 38 TDs to 19INTs with a 60.4% completion percentage, while also rushing 157 times for 743 yards and 15 TDs.
Originally slated as the 3rd string QB for the Owls, Weisman received his first NCAA snap against FIU when Cam Fancher’s helmet came off. In FAU’s most recent game against UConn, Weisman played the final drive, handing it off twice and having his lone pass fall off the fingers of Caleb Coombs incomplete.
Kasen has been ready for his opportunity for a while according to his mother Wendy, who says he has done all the right things to lead him into this moment.
"He eats, breathes and sleeps football, and he has great instincts", said Weisman's mother, Wendy Weisman. "He has always been a player's player and has always had a natural leadership quality - people seem to follow him."
FAU has struggled to generate a passing offense so far, as Cam Fancher has been dealing with a finger injury and it just hasn’t clicked so far through his first 4 games. Fancher has thrown for 557 yards 2 TDS and 4 INTs, completing 58.3% of his passes while averaging 5.4 yards per attempt.
Fancher’s biggest strength so far at FAU has been on the ground, as he’s carried it 51 times for 212 yards and a score, while picking up 15 first downs with his legs and having 10 runs of 10 yards or more. It’s expected that he still holds a sizable role in the offense and look for FAU to play to his strengths and capitalize on his rushing ability.
FAU takes on FCS Wagner in week 5 and it is a good opportunity for the staff to see what Weisman brings to the table. It also allows Fancher a bit more of an opportunity to heal his injured finger should FAU dial back his overall reps, while also allowing him to impact the game with his legs.
The Owls need a spark sitting at 1-3 and it will now be on Weisman to provide that and he will have a chance to shine against an FCS school who sits at 2-2, and his mother Wendy says Kasen’s family is elated for his earned opportunity.
"Nothing has ever been given to Kasen, he has worked and earned everything he has accomplished on his own. And we are so proud of him for that", Weisman said.
Comments
Why would he even play cam unless everyone else is injured?
Sometimes a fresh start can do a lot for a team’s swagger and confidence!!
Ahhh yes, you’re right. Kooi transferred I believe
Agree, time to find out if it was the QB or the scheme. Let’s collectively hope it was the QB and the nose can be pulled up on this offense going into conference play.
We were not playing Army or Navy but a less than mediocre Connecticut with an undersized O line. WE WERE NOT READY TO PLAY, WE DID NOT ADJUST
Both of UCONN's tackles are NFL prospects.
I am sure both in well into the 6 figures of payment from UCONN.
What worries me is…its more the Oline than the QB. That's a much more serious and difficult to fix problem.
And as Owls2013 says here, without hundreds of thousands of dollars to pay these guys. We have no hope of fixing the problem. So until then, enjoy 48-14 UConn.
Not to mention...the following. Lot's of records and seasons high for the old mighty Uconn Huskies. Congrats to them. Something tells me this is more than NIL.
The UConn offense ran for a FBS school record 421 yards as the Huskies posted a 48-14 win over Florida Atlantic Saturday night in front of 20,144 fans at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field.
The Huskies also did not punt on Saturday night, a first since a game at Syracuse during the 2004 season.
UConn's defense gave up a season-low 250 total yards in the win, just 87 yards through the air.
I remember going to basketball games when the program was under Michael Curry. And then I remember when I stopped going and refused to go...due to lack of identity, lack of hustle, lack of talent, etc.
I remember also going back when Dusty took over, his first season. The immediate difference was incredible. Wasn't NIL money, it was just the look of the team. The hustle and execution. You could tell immediately the team was well coached and had a good culture that was headed in the right direction.
I feel like WT was our Michael Curry...I dont feel that we hired a Dusty May.
We are damn close to rock bottom.
WE allowed 425 yards at a 6.4 yards per carry clip.
Maryland allowed only 88 yards, Duke only allowed 179 yards. MERRIMACK only allowed 274 yds. WE allowed 151 more than MERRIMACK.
Not to mention we have 2 sacks in FOUR (4) games. That is a rate of only 6 SACKS ON THE SEASON!!!!!
WE are the issue here not how good they are, on BOTH sides of the ball!!!!
I knew when this issue first came up this would happen. Many argued that the kids deserve a few thousand a year to help them through college. Now look in just a few years it has already blown up!
Even at UNLV the starting QB there on an UN DEFEATED 3-0 team is refusing to play again this season because he is not getting all he was promised, or so he says. Or is this a blackmail/extortion move,, a "holdout" to get PAID MORE????
I gave money to support out men's BB team and where are they now…. NOT HERE!
It is now an ANNUAL free agent market which even the pros don't enjoy and it will kill college sports in a very short time IMHO and is so sad!
Additionally, NIL donor fatigue sets in WAY faster when they can’t use it as a tax write-off. I don’t expect these huge donations to continue programs that aren’t generating sustained success.
Listing numbers in a vacuum does give the whole story.
FAU's run D was fine against Michigan State.
Meerimack allowed 66 points against the back up QB and allowed nearly 400 in the air.
We had one sack against FIU.
Not on the same level as AAC play, so let's keep track of that number and see if it is in fact a good barometer.
This ⬆️⬆️⬆️
What was supposed to be an initiative to allow players to have advertising deals to supplement their notoriety and personal brand has turned NCAA football into a minor league sport and twisted untested player loyalty to a paycheck driven system.
UConn was scheduled before this happened. So, in smart fashion they went out an bought some players. And they won.
The whole thing is just 🗑️🗑️🗑️
UNLV is 3-0 and is right outside the top 25. What a cluster.
I’m sure UNLV’s coach will have some choice words to whoever screwed this deal up, causing his team to get uprooted after their best start in 40 years.
I can see why coaches are walking away (Saban) from college football. Coaches can’t even focus on coaching.
No pay, no play.
Yes the pass rush has been brutal, however both UCONN and ARMY were extremely run-heavy so thats partially why the total is so low… Chisom Ifeanyi has been really productive 40% win rate in pass rush, but he hasnt gotten home enough and has struggled in run defense so that has kept him off the field a bit.
Struggles vs Army in the run were somewhat understandable, however UCONN was a total collapse, 17 missed tackles, 4 from ambush, 3 from williams our 2 starting inside LBs… they are usually 2 of our most impactful players as well, but it was just a total collapse.
Gotta pick it up in run defense, DBs have been and still are really solid… if the front 7 can pick it up, defense will be fine.
Offense needs a spark from weisman, if they can get it, combined with better run defense, they can make a push for 6-6.
But lot of hypotheticals and 'ifs' that need to happen before we get there.
Just happened again- UNLV’s starting RB just quit and entered the portal on the same grounds that “expectations weren’t met”.
A team’s season falling apart over a completely external deal.
These headlines are rightfully going to sour a lot of public opinion of NIL- not to mention the fallout this will have now that this precedent has been set.