Insider notes on American Athletic Conference: Grading top prospects ft. Florida Atlantic's Caden Veltkamp, and more

Like many of the other non-Power 4 conferences, the American Athletic Conference is turning into a farm system for the major schools. Though the league did have a half-dozen players selected in the draft this past April, the offseason saw a boatload of players, some with average talent, lured away to bigger programs with substantial NIL deals.

There’s a chance that only two players from the conference are selected in the 2026 NFL draft.

If the top underclassmen from the AAC do not enter the 2026 NFL draft, and at this point, it’s likely they do not, the league may have only two players selected in the event.

The top prospect is quarterback Caden Veltkamp, who made the unusual move from Western Kentucky to Florida Atlantic. Veltkamp is a nice-sized pocket passer with a major league arm and the ability to make all the throws.

He’s patient, poised and does a great job locating the open wideout. Veltkamp needs to improve his pass placement and is more of a classic pocket passer versus an RPO quarterback, yet his upside is exciting.

UTSA was loaded at the tight end position last season, yet Patrick Overmyer, now a redshirt sophomore, stood out to me as the top NFL prospect. He’s long, athletic and proficient as a pass catcher and blocker. Overmyer was rotated in the lineup last season and is poised for a big year as he gets more playing time.

Memphis offensive lineman Chris Adams is the top senior prospect from the conference. He’s an athletic and mobile college tackle who stands out in pass protection or blocking in motion. Adams is fundamentally sound and uses his hands exceptionally well. He needs to get stronger and has the measurables of an interior offensive lineman, which is where I expect him to line up on Sundays.

Several scouts I’ve spoken with have draftable grades on Maurice Westmoreland, who transferred from UTEP to Tulane. He’s quick and explosive, and he shows a lot of speed as well as range. I question his instincts as well as his next-level position. Some scouts I’ve spoken with project Westmoreland as an edge, yet he’s barely 6-foot-1, if even that tall.

Scouts like the Navy duo of running back Eli Heidenreich and quarterback Blake Horvath, with some having a draftable grade on the ball carrier. Heidenreich displays excellent vision and a burst on the field, working to get as much from every carry as possible. Yet at 5-foot-11.5 and 205 pounds, he shows no great physical trait to his game.

Kameron Hamilton is an athletic defensive lineman who plays end in Tulane’s three-man line. He’s fast, explosive and flashes pass-rush skill, but Hamilton must get stronger and bulkier.

American Athletic Prospects
Grade	Rnd	Full Name	School	Pos	Yr	#
3.43	5th	Caden Veltkamp	Florida Atlantic	QB	4Jr	10
3.39	6th	Patrick Overmyer	UTSA	TE	3So	89
3.37	6th	Chris Adams	Memphis	G	5Sr	61
3.25	FA	Maurice Westmoreland	Tulane	OLB	5Sr	0
3.22	FA	Kameron Hamilton	Tulane	DE	4Sr	6
3.18	FA	Eli Heidenreich	Navy	RB	4Sr	22
3.11	FA	Blake Horvath	Navy	QB	4Sr	11
3.07	FA	Rocco Nicholl	South Florida	OLB	4Sr	4
3.04	FA	Anthony Smith	East Carolina	WR	6S	9
3.03	FA	De'Shawn Rucker	South Florida	CB	5Sr	22
3.03	FA	Byrum Brown	South Florida	QB	4Jr	17
3.03	FA	Isaiah Jacobs	UAB	RB	5Sr	3
3.02	FA	Derrick Graham	Tulane	G	5Sr	76
3.01	FA	Jalen Kitna	UAB	QB	5Sr	17
3	FA	Evan McCray	UAB	WO	5Sr	2
2.99	FA	Reggie Grimes	Memphis	DE	6Sr	14
2.99	FA	Sam Brumfield	Memphis	ILB	5Sr	3
2.95	FA	De'Corian Clark	UTSA	WR	5Sr	88
2.85	FA	Sam Howard	Tulane	ILB	4Sr	15
2.85	FA	Robert Henry	UTSA	RB	4Sr	6
2.81	FA	Adonis Friloux	Tulane	DT	5Sr	95