Jim Mashek

VELTKAMP, FORMER SOUTH WARREN STAR, WILL BE JOINED BY HILLTOPPERS’ EASTON MESSER AT FAU; WKU DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR TYSON SUMMERS ON HIS WAY TO COLORADO STATE

Western Kentucky University’s football team figures to field a new-look offense when the 2025 season rolls around next August.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Caden Veltkamp, the former South Warren High School star, confirmed Monday evening that he is transferring to Florida Atlantic University, one of the Hilltoppers’ former rivals in Conference USA and a public university with an enrollment of more than 30,000 in Boca Raton, Florida.

The news was first reported by 247Sports reporter Matt Zenitz. Published reports also indicated WKU defensive coordinator Tyson Summers is returning to the same job at Colorado State University, and that sophomore place-kicker Lucas Carneiro, who had a banner season in 2024, will be transferring to Ole Miss. The NCAA Transfer Portal will close for the first time this offseason on December 28.

Veltkamp, the 6-foot-5, 215-pound QB, took over for an injured T.J. Finley in the third game of the 2024 season, Western’s impressive 49-21 victory over traditional rival Middle Tennessee State on September 14, 2024 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Veltkamp was almost flawless against the Blue Raiders, completing 27 of 30 passes for 398 yards and FIVE touchdowns in Western’s impressive rout of MTSU. He added a 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, moving the pocket and finding check-down receivers when he wasn’t challenging the Blue Raiders with the deep ball.

Veltkamp went on to be named Conference USA’s Offensive Player of the Year, after leading the Hilltoppers to dramatic comeback victories over other Group of Five football teams such as Toledo, New Mexico State and Jacksonville State.

However, the Hilltoppers slumped toward the end of the 2024 season, losing three of their final four games. After dropping a 12-7 decision to Conference USA rival Louisiana Tech, on November 16 at WKU’s Houchens-Smith Stadium, the Tops traveled to Lynchburg, Virginia, to lock horns with C-USA opponent Liberty University.

The Flames rolled to a 38-21 victory over WKU, which bounced back in strong fashion with a tense, 19-17 victory over Jacksonville State in Bowling Green. That set the stage for the C-USA Championship Game, six days later in Jacksonville, Alabama, and the Gamecocks drubbed the Tops in the rematch, 52-12.

(Shortly after that game, JSU coach Rich Rodriguez announced he would be leaving the Gamecocks to return to West Virginia University, where he had a successful run from 2001 until 2007.)

The Hilltoppers qualified for a bowl game for the sixth consecutive season, however, and, coincidentally, traveled to Florida Atlantic University for last week’s Boca Raton Bowl against James Madison University.

JMU whipped the Tops, 27-17, sending WKU to its third loss in four games. The Hilltoppers finished 8-6 in Tyson Helton’s seventh season at WKU.

Veltkamp passed for 3,108 yards and 25 touchdowns in his first season as the WKU starting quarterback. He guided South Warren High School to the KHSAA Class 5A state championship in 2021, graduating from South early to join the Hilltoppers for spring drills in 2022.

Veltkamp confirmed he will be joined by former WKU wide receiver Easton Messer at WKU. Messer, a redshirt sophomore from Louisville, finished the 2024 season with 55 receptions for 793 yards and four touchdowns. Messer also returned kickoffs for the Hilltoppers.

Caden Veltkamp’s younger brother, Colton Veltkamp, was an all-state player this fall for South Warren as an outside linebacker and tight end. Colton Veltkamp has signed with Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia, and will join that team next summer.

I’ll have more on the big news from WKU on Tuesday at jimmashek.com. Thanks for reading, and Merry Christmas!