FAU Position Group Preview: Wide Receiver
One of the most pivotal aspects of FAU’s game this season will be the wide receiver room. With Coach Kittley coming from Texas Tech — a team that finished third in the Big 12 in passing yards per game (296.7) — the Owls project to be a super high-powered offense.
Their versatile receiver room features three freshmen, two sophomores, five juniors, and four seniors.
Among the sophomores, multiple coaches have mentioned Asaad Waseem as a standout. Waseem, a Colorado transfer from Apopka, Florida, redshirted last year at Deion Sanders’ Colorado program before returning to the Sunshine State in January of 2025. As a senior at Ocoee High School, he earned 4M Player of the Year honors, finishing his prep career with over 3,500 all-purpose yards and 38 total touchdowns.
When I asked Asaad about working with Pro Football Hall of Famer Chris Carter, he said, “He’s in the Hall of Fame, so really, what he says, you can’t go wrong with. Anything he tries to tell me, I try to involve it in my game.” Carter, a longtime Boca Raton resident, is heading into his second season as FAU’s Executive Director of Player Engagement.
On Monday, receivers mostly ran slants. In this video, #7 Zach Gibson connects with #88 Jett Coolman at the back of the end zone.
The most versatile member of the room is likely Easton Messer, a redshirt-junior who recently transferred from Western Kentucky. Last week, he was named to the Paul Hornung Award Watch List, which goes to the most versatile player in the country. When asked about his versatility during today’s press conference, he said he’s willing to do whatever his team needs him to do.
At Western Kentucky, Messer accumulated 1,330 scrimmage yards over his last two seasons, with fellow FAU transfer QB Caden Veltkamp at the helm. Additionally, he was a finalist for the Burlsworth Award, which goes to the most outstanding FBS player who began their career as a walk-on.
A player poised for a breakout season is JR Wilson Jr, a senior who recently transferred from Virginia. In three seasons with the Cavaliers, Wilson compiled 305 receiving yards on 26 receptions. He also averaged just over 15 yards per reception in 2024, proving to be a big-play threat on various occasions, including when he scored his first career touchdown on a 68-yard pass against North Carolina.
Image courtesy of Blake Quilleon-BQuill Productions
Another intriguing senior is Quincy Brown, someone who has played a ton of football at a high level. Brown, a transfer from Nicholls State, is one of the tallest receivers on the roster, standing at 6’4. In four seasons of college football, he has caught 758 total yards, 152 of which were in a TCU uniform from 2021 to 2022. A four-star recruit and top-55 receiver in his class, the New Orleans native is looking to live up to the hype he received coming out of high school in his fifth year of college football.
The most highly anticipated freshman receiver is Jade Card, a local from Miami. The Owls have had Card on their radar since he was a sophomore, and he ultimately chose FAU over offers from Florida State, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Miami, Ole Miss, and SMU. Card finished his prep career with 1,871 yards and 15 touchdowns, ranking as a three-star with a composite score of .868.