BOCA RATON – Defensive tackle Jeremiah Taleni arrived in South Florida carrying a message from FAU’s former coach, Charlie Partridge.
“He misses this place,” Taleni said. “He misses the guys. He told me to send his love. Real good guy.”
Taleni grew to know Partridge during the spring, when the former FAU coach became his position coach at Pittsburgh. Now the two have flipped locations, thanks in large part to Landan Salem, FAU’s director of player personnel, whose father Tim Landan is the tight ends coach at Pitt.
A graduate transfer who participated in his first practice as an Owl on Wednesday, Taleni was expected to be a leader along the Panthers’ defensive line this season but was dismissed from the team following spring practices.
“I just broke some rules,” Taleni said. “That was it. So I had to go through the whole recruiting process again and I ended up here.”
Taleni chose FAU over Arizona and Western Michigan, but his arrival was delayed until he completed the six courses he needed to graduate from Pitt, thereby satisfying the NCAA’s graduate transfer requirements which allow him to play immediately.
At 6-foot-2 and 285 pounds, Taleni figures to earn immediate playing time at defensive tackle. At Pitt last season, Taleni recorded 24 tackles, with 1.5 of his three sacks coming in the Panthers’ upset of Clemson last season.
“I would hope he’d be an every down player for us,” FAU coach Lane Kiffin said. “He’s a lot lighter than he was a year ago. He’s about 285 where he was over 300 pounds last year. That should help him be able to play – to be a third down player not just a first and second down player.”
Taleni is the second former Power 5 player to begin practicing with the Owls in as many days. On Tuesday, former Florida St. Seminole linebacker Kain Daub officially joined FAU.
Daub played junior college ball last year at ASA College in New York. Like Telani, Daub needed to finish some academic work before joining a four-year school, and that, he said, prompted him to chose FAU over some SEC schools.
“I wasn’t going to be able to finish my class and get here until right before camp,” Daub said. “I know how fast the SEC is moving. It was going to be hard to get in and start. I only have two years left. I really wasn’t trying to be only a special teams guy – which is what they wanted me to do for my first year.”
FAU thrust both Daub and Taleni into meaningful action. At 6-foot-4, 240 pounds, Daub worked some at linebacker but primarily as a stand-up defensive end during his first days, seeing repetitions with the second and even first teams.
Taleni primarily worked with the second team, but did take some snaps with the first team late on Wednesday.
“We try to put most of our new guys when they get here up with the first and second team, and see if they can stay longer up there,” Kiffin said. “Some guys stay and some guys slip back.”
To stick at the top of the depth chart, both players say they need to improve on conditioning.
Daub fought cramps during both mornings behind the Oxley Center.
“I’m not really in shape,” Daub said. “Yesterday I started cramping at like period eight. Today I started cramping at the end of practice, so I’m getting there.”
Taleni, a Hawaii native, said the South Florida heat was one factor in his decision to join FAU.
“I couldn’t give up palm trees and coconuts,” Taleni said.
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