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Not too long ago, Lane Kiffin was offensive coordinator of the Alabama Crimson Tide. His reign lasted from 2014 to 2017. It was in 2017 when Kiffin took the head coaching job at Florida Atlantic University. Instead of finishing out his offensive role at Alabama, head coach Nick Saban relieved him of his duties ahead of the national championship game.
Ever since joining the Owls, Kiffin has transformed their club. In 2017, he led the Owls to an 11-win season including a monumental 50-3 win over the University of Akron. He followed up this season with a less than appealing record of 5-7 for 2018. However, fans are still confident in Kiffin’s ability to coach and recruit premier talent.
The Owls’ program recently just added to their legacy. The team added two Hall of Fame sons to their roster. The first Warren Sapp II, the son of former Miami Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Buccaneers star. The second is Terique Owens, son of former star wide receiver Terrell Owens.
Terique Owens came out of high school in 2018, but choose to play ball at the junior college level. It seems now the 6-foot-3, 175-pound wide receiver is ready to transition to more elite competition. He put up 306 receiving yards and two touchdowns in seven games with Contra Costa College. Underwhelming statistics compared to his father, but he looks to change that around under the offensive-minded Kiffin. He certainly has the size to play at the next level, however, it will be up to Kiffin and his offense to mold Terique into the offensive player his dad once was.
Warren Sapp II was an incredibly under-recruited due to his size. He is a 6-foot-1, 220-pound defensive lineman that has a knack for getting behind the offensive line just like his father. According to Max Preps, Sapp finished his senior season with 24 sacks, 92 tackles, and 15 quarterback hurries. Even with his dominance on the football field, many believed Sapp didn’t have what it took to play at the next level. Many thought he would play for a lower tier football program in college. That was until Coach Kiffin brought him in for a visit this past weekend.
After Sapp’s visit with the Owls, the coaching staff left a lasting impact on the prospect and soon after he committed.
Both Terique and Sapp will have very similar paths once enrolling at FAU as walk-ons. FAU hopes to continue to turn their program around with the legendary names of Sapp and Owens now on their roster. But, it will be up to Kiffin however to maximize their potential.
