Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 21-66@ Florida | 7 | 73 | 10.4 | 0 | 25 | |
| Wk 2 | W 38-30vs Navy | 8 | 179 | 22.4 | 2 | 76 | Season-high 179 yds |
| Total | 15 | 252 | 16.4 | 2 | 76 |
#8
Easton Messer
Senior wide receiver for Florida Atlantic. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
5′9″ · 190 lb · Louisville, KY · Christian Academy of Louisville
CFB Index 88 · #10 of 485 WRsHigh confidenceReturning to Florida Atlantic for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
The numbers
252
receiving yards · 2026
15 catches · 2 TD · 16.8 per catch
2 games into 2026 so far -- Backed by 15 rec · 87 yds -- top 0.1% catches game. -- Best game: 8 rec, 179 yds, 2 TD, vs Navy
The play that turned itSwung Florida Atlantic from 10% to 41% to win.UConn at Florida Atlantic · 48-45
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 wide receiver for Florida Atlantic. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 2-star recruit to Western Kentucky in 2022.
- Transferred from Western Kentucky to Florida Atlantic in 2025.
Easton Messer
Beats you over the top. Across five seasons and two programs, two head coaches: Tyson Helton and Zach Kittley. Three straight seasons of it now: All-AAC again in 2025. One game to point at: 179 rec yds, 8 receptions against Navy — Week 2, 2026.
252 REC YDS · 15 REC · 2 REC TD
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- recognition record
- game log
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
The week the volume broke through — put up 133 yds at Tulane.Tulane · L 24-352025
2022
- Signed with Western Kentucky2-star out of Christian Academy Of Louisville
202312 games
The role got bigger.
- All-Conference USAhonorable_mention
202414 games
- All-Conference USAhonorable_mention
202512 games
- Entered the portal
- All-AACsecond
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎖
ALL-AAC · 2ND TEAM
All-AAC 2nd team (2025)
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
4 coaches2022
Florida Atlantic
2025–2026era →
Zach Kittley
Florida Atlantic
Played under 4 different head coaches: Willie Taggart, Tom Herman, Chad Lunsford, and Zach Kittley. Multi-era developmental context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2022Western Kentucky9-5HC: Tyson Helton · Pass-leaning
2023Western Kentucky8-5HC: Tyson Helton · Pass-leaning
2024Western Kentucky8-6HC: Tyson Helton · Balanced
2025Florida Atlantic4-8HC: Zach Kittley · Pass-heavy, fast tempo
2026Florida Atlantic1-1HC: Zach Kittley · Balanced, fast tempo
Where this profile ranks vs the WR cohort
Box-score + play-by-play EPA percentiles
High confidence
Elite: explosive rate (92nd percentile). Strength: yards / catch (83rd percentile).
Real play-by-play efficiency
Box-score rates (5)
Season trend
Last seasonThis season
EPA / target
55th → 71st percentile
Explosive rate
67th → 92nd percentile
Catch rate
78th → 60th percentile
TD rate
37th → 50th percentile
Yards / catch
40th → 83rd percentile
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season. Most bars are box-score rates; EPA / success-rate bars are computed from real play-by-play (offense only — no defensive EPA model exists yet).
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 7.5 REC/g, 126 YDS/g, 16.4 YPR, 1.0 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Zach Kittley
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
2026 outlook
In the mix to repeat All-AAC
Based on 2025: #2 of 51 American Athletic WRs
How the All-AAC estimate is computed
49% estimated, 95% confidence interval 43–54%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
One of 52 players who were elite at two different things in 2025. See the others ›
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Florida Atlantic | 15 | 252 | 16.8 | 2 | -- |
| 2025 | Florida Atlantic | 100 | 1,029 | 10.3 | 6 | -- |
| 2024 | Western Kentucky | 55 | 793 | 14.4 | 4 | -- |
| 2023 | Western Kentucky | 42 | 484 | 11.5 | 4 | -- |
| 2022 | Western Kentucky | 1 | 44 | 44.0 | 1 | -- |
| Career | 213 | 2,602 | 12.2 | 17 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Florida Atlantic | -- | -- | -- | 22 | -- |
| 2025 | Florida Atlantic | 3 | 51 | 3 | 250 | -- |
| 2024 | Western Kentucky | 8 | 39 | 435 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Western Kentucky | 2 | 16 | 333 | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Western Kentucky | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 13 | 106 | 771 | 272 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 38–30
vs Navy
8 rec · 179 yds · 2 TD
Edged out Navy at home in a shootout.
With C. Veltkamp — 386 yds · 5 TD · 0 INT · QBR 83.4 · -22 rush yds (5 car) · K. Valsin — 8 rec · 115 yds · 1 TD
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 2 · Navy · 2&11 · Q1 · EPA +6.88(14:25) No Huddle-Shotgun #10 C.Veltkamp pass complete deep middle to #8 E.Messer caught at Navy35, for 76 yards to the Navy00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 14:18, 1ST DOWN #41 C.Rogers kick attempt good (H: #91 R.Chandley, LS: #54 W.Adkinson)
- Week 2 · Navy · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA +3.01(07:01) No Huddle-Shotgun #10 C.Veltkamp pass complete deep middle to #8 E.Messer caught at Navy08, for 36 yards to the Navy00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 06:59, 1ST DOWN #41 C.Rogers kick attempt good (H: #91 R.Chandley, LS: #54 W.Adkinson)
- Week 1 · Florida · 4&1 · Q3 · EPA +2.69(02:54) No Huddle-Shotgun #10 C.Veltkamp pass complete short right to #8 E.Messer caught at FLA42, for 12 yards to the FLA36 (#10 C.Dooley), out of bounds, 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Florida · 3&6 · Q2 · EPA +2.65(08:48) No Huddle-Shotgun #10 C.Veltkamp pass complete deep right to #8 E.Messer caught at FLA23, for 25 yards to the FLA23, End Of Play, 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Navy · 2&1 · Q1 · EPA +1.53(07:23) No Huddle-Shotgun #10 C.Veltkamp pass complete deep middle to #8 E.Messer caught at Navy40, for 27 yards to the Navy36 (#8 A.Rose), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Florida · 3&1 · Q2 · EPA +1.50(00:19) No Huddle-Shotgun #10 C.Veltkamp pass complete short left to #8 E.Messer caught at FAU40, for 7 yards to the FAU43 (#1 B.Thornton), out of bounds, 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Navy · 2&8 · Q2 · EPA +1.33(07:43) No Huddle-Shotgun #10 C.Veltkamp pass complete short right to #8 E.Messer caught at Navy45, for 9 yards to the Navy39 (#47 H.Beacham), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Florida · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA +1.32(01:02) No Huddle-Shotgun #10 C.Veltkamp pass complete short middle to #8 E.Messer caught at FLA44, for 18 yards to the FLA39 (#10 C.Dooley), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Navy · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA -0.87(12:19) No Huddle-Shotgun #10 C.Veltkamp pass complete short left to #8 E.Messer caught at FAU34, for 1 yard to the FAU38 (#45 C.Johnson), out of bounds
- Week 1 · Florida · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA -0.80(06:28) No Huddle-Shotgun #10 C.Veltkamp pass complete short left to #8 E.Messer caught at FAU20, for 1 yard loss to the FAU24 (#95 J.Lyons; #6 J.Flowers)
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Stretches the field vertically. Every snap is a potential big play.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Florida Atlantic
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Wide receiver · Florida Atlantic
Returning around him
- 68% of 2024 offensive production back (Solid continuity)
- Transfer portal: -8 net (22 in / 30 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Florida Atlantic · Last season: 4-8 · Talent rank #98 · 2026 recruiting class #130
DNA match
Player DNA
Deep Threat
Stretches the field vertically. Every snap is a potential big play.
WR
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Josh Magee’s 2016 season.
92%match
Matches Josh on
TD rate
Height
Yards / reception
Through 4 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Max Tomczak’s path through Youngstown State.
Max Tomczak
97%match
#2
Ryan Jezioro
97%
#3
Anthony Lowe
95%
#4
Seth Sweitzer
95%
#5
Neno Lemay
94%
Matches Max on
Yards per reception
As a graduate, his production profile tracks closest to Caullin Lacy's graduate season at Louisville (2024).
65%match
All-ACC
Matches Caullin on
Height
Total EPA (college ability)
Yards / reception
Differs from Caullin on
TD rate (higher)
Recruiting rating (lower)
Player DNA
Players who play like Easton Messer
Background
At Florida Atlantic Fifth Year (2026) Named to the preseason All-Conference First Teams for Phil Steele and Athlon Magazine Selected to the East-West Bowl 1,000 On the preseason Paul Hornung Award Watch List Named a preseason G6 All-American by HERO Sports Selected to Biletnikoff Award Watch List...
The receiver room · Florida Atlantic
- #8Easton Messer1,029 receiving yards · 2025
- #9Dom Henry575 receiving yards · 2025
- #6RJ Garcia II283 receiving yards · 2025
- Branden Hoch177 receiving yards · 2025
- #3Tucker Holloway82 receiving yards · 2025
10 more on the roster · Florida Atlantic team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology