Furman Football 2025 Season Preview: Will 2025 Be Furman's SoCon Resurrection?
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| Furman all-conference offensive guard Luke Petit (photo courtesy of Furman Athletics) |
Furman (3-8, 2-5 SoCon/8th in ‘24)
Unlike that period, however, the Paladins had 46 seniors graduate off that 2023 team and that's not counting a few underclassmen that transferred and had eligibility remaining. All told, the Paladins had to replace 37 of its 44 from the two-deep roster, making the 2024 team one of the youngest in the 119-year history of Furman football.
There was also the tragic loss of defensive lineman Bryce Stanfield just prior to spring practice started in 2024, which hung over the team like an ominous cloud throughout 2024.
There was also a tinge of bizarreness that happened during the season as well, which included the loss of arguably of Furman's biggest offensive weapon--wide receiver Joshua Harris--and then a rare inland Hurricane, that blew through the western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina in late September.
Hurricane Helene left destruction and turned the lights out along its path, eventually causing the cancelation of Furman's SoCon opener at home against Samford.
Add to that an inordinate rash of injuries that hit the team from the outset of the season, which saw Furman's secondary so depleted it was beyond third string at one corner and at third string at one safety spot as the Paladins took the field against pass-happy and electrifying Western Carolina in a mid-season home tilt. The Paladins would not only lose that game 52-20 but gave up league records for total yards (810) and passing yards (652) in the historic home loss to the Catamounts.
Everything seemed to snowball to lead to a 3-8 season, which included a 2-5 mark in Southern Conference play. To put in perspective just how bad the season was for Furman football, the 360 points surrendered were the most ever given up in an 11-game regular-season by the Furman defense, with only the 2005 Paladins giving up more.
However, that '05 team played 14 games and made it all the way to the Division I-AA semifinals (now FCS) before ending the campaign with 383 total points surrendered. Furman's defense also surrendered 431.5 YPG to foes last season, which ranked as the highest yards-per-game total in school history since the NCAA began keeping stats in 1973. Prior to the 2024 season, it was the 2009 Furman defense which had held the dubious distinction of being, at least on paper, statistically the worst in program history, surrendering 431.3 YPG.
On offense, the 89.8 YPG on the ground marked the lowest ground yardage average for a season in program history. Prior to last season, Furman had never finished a campaign averaging less than 100 YPG in a given season on the ground, dating back to 1973. Furman's eighth-place finish in the final regular-season standings marked the lowest finish in the league since tying for eighth in 1966.
With the hunger to show that 2024 was more of an aberration due to inexperience rather than lack of talent, the Paladins enter the 2025 season with an uncanny eagerness to resurrect itself as a perennial league title contender and perhaps even add to its SoCon standard championship profile of 15 league titles won since 1977.
HEAD COACH: Clay Hendrix (54-37/9th year at Furman)
FURMAN FOOTBALL
TRADITION:
SHARED OR OUTRIGHT
SOCON FOOTBALL TITLES: (15) 1978, ’80, ’81, ’82, ’83, ’85, ’88, ’89, ’90, ’99,
2001, ’04, ’13, ’18, ‘23
FCS PLAYOFF
APPEARANCES: (20) 1982; ’83, ’85, ’86, ‘88**, ’89, ’90, ’96, ’99, 2000, ’01,
’02, ’04, ’05, ’06, ’13, ’17, ’19, ’22, and ‘23
NCAA National Game
Appearances: (3) 1985; ‘88** and 2001
FCS PLAYOFF RECORD: 22-20
**--1988 National
Champion
PALMETTO STATE
TRADITION: Furman’s football
program is the second-winningest program in the Palmetto State, and along with
Clemson, is responsible for winning the lone national title of the current
Southern Conference membership, when the Paladins won the 1988 national title
to become the first private school to ever win a national title.
The Paladins won at
home vs. Delaware (21-7), at Marshall (W, 13-9) and vs. Idaho (W, 38-7) to
reach its second national title game in four seasons, and it would be a
familiar foe on the other side of the football awaiting them. Furman traveled
all the way to Pocatello, Idaho to face border state and future SoCon rival
Georgia Southern for the second meeting in series history.
Behind legendary
quarterback Tracy Ham, the Eagles were able to rebound from a 28-6 deficit
against a Furman team quarterbacked by former legend Bobby Lamb, posting one of
the more remarkable come-from-behind wins in championship history, as Frankie
Johnson hauled in a 13-yard pass from Ham, allowing the Eagles to pick up a
memorable, 44-42, title win, as it would be the first of what would become six
national titles over a 15-year span for the Georgia Southern football program.
The Paladins would get their revenge for that loss three years later at Idaho State’s Holt Arena in a game that was nothing like the initial meeting between the two three years earlier, as the Paladins would win a 17-12 defensive struggle against Erk Russell’s Eagles, who were a little less potent through the air, but maybe more potent on the ground, led by quarterback Raymond Gross.
Jeff Blankenship’s
interception of a Gross pass with 17 seconds remaining, with the Eagles driving
late inside Furman territory sealed Furman’s greatest triumph as an athletics
program. Interestingly, the Paladins were picked fourth in the Southern
Conference in the 1988 preseason media and coaches poll, and would even lose
the regular-season meeting with Marshall in Huntington, dropping what was a 24-10
game.
The Paladins exacted
their revenge at Fairfield Stadium in the playoff, limiting Marshall’s dynamic
passing attack, which was led by quarterback John Gregory and wideout Sean
Doctor. However, Furman held the Herd in-check all day on the defensive side of
the ball, and a 79-yard scoring drive late in the game, which was engineered
beautifully by quarterback Frankie DeBusk and capped the drive with a 1-yard
scoring plunge from Dwight Sterling, and after the two-point conversion failed,
the Paladins held a four-point, 13-9, lead with 2:09 remaining. Furman’s
defense would make the lead hold up, and the Paladins would be returning to
Greenville to take on Big Sky powerhouse in the semifinals.
When the Paladins faced the Vandals in front of 11,645 fans at Paladin Stadium on a sunny, cold early December Saturday afternoon, they did so knowing Idaho wasn’t at full strength, as Hall-of-Fame quarterback and future NFL veteran John Friesz had suffered a severe ankle sprain in Idaho’s 38-30 quarterfinal win over Northwestern State, and that would keep him out against the Paladins. Without him and facing a Furman defense that was a dominant force, the Vandals would be no match for the Paladins in what would turn out to be a 38-7 blowout win for the Paladins.
Since that national title win, the Paladins have had some successful clusters, with it being rare to see the Paladins dip below .500 overall in regular-season. Even in seasons which don't see the Paladins challenge for a SoCon title or postseason appearance, the Paladins more often than not finish at or above .500.
In 38 of the past 47 football seasons, Furman has posted at least a .500 finish to a season, and in 37 of those, Furman has finished above .500 to end a season. Listed below are the nine seasons in which the Paladins have finished below .500 in a campaign, dating back to 1977.
Losing Seasons Since 1977
1979 5-6 overall, 4-3 SoCon (4th)
1994 3-8 overall, 2-6 SoCon (T-7th)
1998 5-6 overall, 3-5 SoCon (T-6th)
2010 5-6 overall, 3-5 SoCon (6th)
2012 3-8 overall, 2-6 SoCon (7th)
2014 3-9 overall, 2-5 SoCon (6th)
2015 4-7 overall, 2-5 SoCon (T-6th)
2016 3-8 overall, 3-5 SoCon (6th)
2020-21 3-4 overall, 3-4 SoCon (T-4th)
2024 3-8 overall, 2-5 SoCon (8th)
The
Furman football program has won more games (648) and more conference titles
(15) than any other football program. The Paladins will be entering their 120th season on the gridiron this fall and have the second-most FBS wins
among SoCon programs with six, trailing only bitter rival The Citadel, which
has won a league-high eight games against FBS foes.
Furman has wins over North Carolina State (2), Georgia Tech (1), North Carolina (1), South Carolina (1) and Central Florida (1) in its history as an FCS member. Furman ranks in the top five (No. 4 behind Montana 28, Eastern Kentucky 23, and Northern Iowa 22) in FCS history in all-time playoff appearances, having made 20 appearances in the postseason. Furman has a 22-20 ledger all-time in the postseason.
Furman also has one Walter Payton Award winner, in former running
back Louis Ivory, who claimed the 2000 Walter Payton Award winner after
becoming the first running back to rush for over 2,000 in the regular-season in
SoCon history.
Furman, which heads into its 87th season as a SoCon member, has won more games than any other member in league history, and its 24-21 win at East Tennessee State late in the 2024 season marked the program’s 300th SoCon win, as the Paladins improved to 300-229-11 all-time in league play with that win. The season would of course end with a 49-23 loss at Mercer, bringing the Paladins’ all-time league mark to 300-230-11 heading into the 2025 campaign.
The Paladins will also be taking part in their 120th season as a program, and it is the oldest sport on the Furman campus, with its first-ever football game way back in 1889 against Wofford.
OFFENSIVE SCHEME:
Pro-Style/Multiple
DEFENSIVE SCHEME: 3-4
base/Multiple
COACHES PRESEASON
PROJECTION: 6th
KEY OFFENSIVE RETURNERS: QB Trey Hedden (151-of-248 passing, 1,767 yds, 13 TDs, 9 INTs in ‘24), QB Carson Jones (69-of-107 passing, 642 yds, 2 TDs, 4 INTs in ‘24), RB Jay’Quan Smith (DNP in 2024/Rehabbing from ’23 injury), OL Luke Petit (Preseason second-team All-SoCon and 2nd Team All-American/17-career starts), WR Ben Ferguson (24 rec, 349 yds, 3 TDs, 14.5 YPR), WR Devin Hester Jr. (16 rec, 124 yds, 7.8 YPR), TE Joshua Burrell (2 rec., 43 yds, 21.5 YPR in ‘24), TE Jackson Pryor (Preseason first-team All-SoCon selection/16 rec, 239 yds, 2 TDs, 14.9 YPR in ‘24), RB Gavin Hall (64 rush att, 321 yds, 1 TD, 5.0 YPC in ‘24), OL Ryan Lamb (23 games played/11-career starts/834-career plays), WR Ethan Harris (15 rec., 226 yds, 1 TD, 15.1 YPR in ‘24), OL Eli Brasher (preseason first-team All-SoCon/23 games played/10-career starts/737-career plays); OL Chris Luna (17-games played/17-career starts/1,066-career plays); WR Gram Smithson (1 rec in ‘24); OL Noah Akinsola (Didn't log any action as a true freshman in '24); OL Steven O’Dell (saw action in one game vs. Mercer in '24); OL Parker Solano (Didn't see action as a true freshman in '24); OL Chase Gregorek (saw action in one game vs. Mercer in '24); RB Kevin Everhart (Did not see action as a true freshman in '24); QB Neuhel Garcia (1-of-1 passing, 9 yds in '24); OL Ryan Lamb (Furman's most-experienced offensive lineman/started 10 games at right guard in '24); WR Jon Holbrook (will miss entire 2025 season with an injury)
KEY OFFENSIVE
DEPARTURES: WR Colton Hinton
(transferred to Coastal Carolina); TE Brock Chappell (transferred to Louisiana
Lafayette); RB Myion Hicks (transferred to Northwestern State); RB Grant Robinson
(entered transfer portal/no future destination announced); OL Blake Hundley
(out of eligibility); OL EJ Wilson (out of eligibility); OL Brody Balliew (West
Georgia); OL Malaki Dudek (transferred to Valdosta State); RB Bailor Hughes
(out of eligibility); TE Aidan Rukh (no longer with the program); TE Brennan Tormey
(no longer with the program)
KEY DEFENSIVE
RETURNERS: DL Malachi Harrison
(13 tackles, 1.0 TFL in ‘24), DB Caleb Williams (53 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 2 INTs, 5
PBUs, 1 FF in ‘24 ), SPUR LB/DB Justin Hartwell (DNP in ‘24/sidelined with a
preseason season-ending injury in fall camp); BAN LB/DB AK Burrell (DNP in
’24/sidelined with a season-ending injury in fall camp); DL Joshua Stoneking (13
tackles, 1 TFL in ‘24); DL Caldwell Bussey (15 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 2 QBHs
in ‘24), DL Demetrius Baldwin (R-Fr); DL Ty Kauserud (11 tackles, 3.0 TFL in
‘24); DL Bruce Knauber (1 tackle in ‘24/R-Fr); LB Raleigh Herbert (30 tackles
in ‘24), DB Billy Lewis (37 tackles, 0.5 TFL, 3 INTs, 7 PBUs, 1 FF, 1 FR in ‘24);
DB Tre’ McCleod (53 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 5 PBUs, 2 INTs, 1 FF in ‘24); LB Tanner
Schuck (15 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks,
2 QBHs in ‘24); LB Luke McLaughlin (13 tackles, 1.0 TFL); LB Ryan Earl
(Preseason first-team All-SoCon/50 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 1.0 sack, 1 FF in ’24); BAN
Dylan Chiedo (6 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 1.0 sack, 1 QBH in ‘24); LB Brandt Babin (11
tackles, 3.5 TFL in ‘24); DT Marc Hernandez (12 tackles, 1 PBU in ‘24); DE Quay
Rush (2 tackles in ‘24); BAN Trevor Short (4 tackles, 1 PBU, 1 QBH); DL Malaki
Dobbins (2 tackles, 1 PBU, 1 QBU in ‘24); DB Jalen Gummer (3 tackles, 1 PBU in ‘24);
DB Daco Coleman (3 tackles, 0.5 TFL in ‘24)
KEY DEFENSIVE
DEPARTURES: LB Evan DiMaggio
(first-team All-SoCon in ‘24/out of eligibility), DL Luke Clark (second-team
All-SoCon in ‘24/out of eligibility), CB Jaylen Moson (transferred to Utah), DL
Jeremiah Jackson (out of eligibility), CB Hysan Dalton (transferred to Idaho);
CB Maurice Perkins (out of eligibility); LB Amaah Achina (out of eligibility);
NG Xavier Stephens (out of eligibility); DB Brayden Holmes (transferred to
Maine); DB Charles Ingram V (transferred to Eastern Kentucky); LB Alex Maier
(DNP in ’24 due to injury and entered transfer portal, has not landed anywhere);
KEY SPECIAL TEAMS
RETURNERS: PK/P Ian Williams (Preseason
first-team All-SoCon)
KEY TRANSFER PORTAL
ADDITIONS: OL Jaydon Collins (Wake
Forest); DB AJ Seay (North Alabama); CB Keon Jones (Prairie View A&M); CB
Eddie Jackson III (Bryant), Talen Blalock (Lindenwood); OL Davis Watson
(Cornell); TE Preston Ross (Ball State); DL Garrison Butler (Appalachian State),
NT Jackson Perez-Garibay (Idaho State); WR Nick Ragano (Wake Forest); WR Kerry
King (East Carolina); TE Luke Clyburn (Newberry)
HOME STADIUM: Paladin Stadium (13,296)
BRIEF OVERVIEW AND
2024 RECAP: Rarely do teams to a
completely opposite 180-degree turn in a negative direction, however, for
Furman, that’s exactly what the 2024 Paladins did. The good news is the
Paladins have a veteran head coach and despite being picked No. 2 off a 10-win
2023 season, if you read between the lines of what Hendrix, who heads into his
ninth season at the helm of the Furman program said, then you could easily pick
out that he knew there would be some rather big challenges ahead. After all,
the Paladins had to replace nearly the entire two-deep, losing 37 of 44 regulars,
mostly to graduation, while a few others with eligibility remaining played out
their careers at the FBS level.
Furman sold out to development
and maturity, using the COVID-19 advantage of a loophole of an extra year and
put it all into two seasons, in 2022 and 2023, winning 20 games, which ended on
the doorstep of being an FCS Final Four team.
Even with all the
challenges though, few could have seen the Paladins having the struggles they
did in 2024, finishing 3-8 overall and just 2-5 in league play. It started with
the tragic loss of defensive lineman Bryce Stanfield to a pulmonary embolism
just prior to the start of spring practice, leaving heavy hearts and a dark cloud
over the team and program for much of the season that was anything but normal.
Add to that a bizarre
dismissal of arguably its top returning offensive player, in wide receiver
Joshua Harris; a bus driver that lost consciousness with a medical emergency en
route to its final non-conference game at William & Mary, and the SoCon
opener canceled against Samford as a result of Hurricane Helene, and you have a
combination of events that made up one of the most bizarre football seasons
ever witnessed for Furman football.
If that wasn’t
enough, a 76-0 blasting by No. Furman football's season opener loss to No. 6 Ole Miss was their worst
defeat since a 118-0 loss to Georgia Tech in 1918. A week later,
things would get even worse, as the Paladins dropped a 24-21 home-opener to
Charleston Southern. The Bucs would be one of two teams on Furman’s slate that
would pick up their only win against the Paladins in 2024 (VMI the other).
The low point would
come with a 21-17 loss at previously 0-9 VMI. But if that was the low-point,
Furman’s 24-21 win at No. 21 East Tennessee State in the penultimate game of
the season was something for the Paladins to build on heading into 2025. With
that momentum, and with 14 starters back, including a pair of experienced
signal-callers, has many thinking it could be a “get back season” for Clay
Hendrix and the Paladins.
Furman has a lot more
than returning a lot of players that is going in its favor as it enters the
2025 season, with one of the main elements of any good football program being
continuity within the coaching staff. For the third-straight season now, Furman
returns both its positional coaches and coordinators to the fold along with veteran
head coach Clay Hendrix, which is something that this day and age in college
football, is considered somewhat impressive.
Though Furman and
staff take the blame and ownership of how things went south so fast last
season, it’s the same staff that helped the Paladins to a 20-6 record the
previous two seasons and on the brink of an FCS Semifinal appearance in 2023, losing
a heartbreaking 35-28 overtime contest at Montana.
The Paladins have one
of the top defensive coordinators in FCS, in Duane Vaughn, as well as having
other coaches on staff that aren’t normally recognized in their roles of being
as vital to Furman’s success as they are. Along with Vaughn, two of the coaches
among several that could be mentioned that should be recognized as for the tremendous
job they do at their craft are tight ends coach Nick Verna and wide receivers
coach Drew Dudzik. If you know anything about Furman’s recent history, then you
probably recall they have had some outstanding tight ends during the Clay
Hendrix era, as well as throughout their rich history. Both have consistently
developed talent while also locating talent from the transfer portal to come in
and provide an impactful presence. Expect both Verna and Dudzik to have Furman’s
tight ends and receivers primed for another big season with strong-armed
quarterback Trey Hedden back under center.
While Furman seemingly
just reloads at tight ends, as has been evidenced in recent seasons: Andy Schumpert(2014-17)--Jake Walker
(2017-20)-- Ryan
Miller (2018-22)--Mason
Pline (2023/transferred in from Ferris State)--Brock
Chappell (2023 and ‘24/SoCon All-Freshman team in ’23) and now--Jackson Pryor (Sophomore
in ‘25/preseason first-team All-SoCon). Every tight end that Hendrix has
coached since taking over in 2017 and while that has been a position
highlighted for success under Hendrix, the tradition of greats at the position
extends well beyond the eight seasons in which Hendrix has led the Paladin
football program.
In fact, it would extend
back much further to greats of the past like: Robbie Hahn (1966-69), Brette
Simmons (1975-78), Jeff Lee (1982-85) Greg Key (1986-89), Paul Siffri (1989-92),
Luther Broughton (1993-96), Trent Sansbury (1998-2001), and Colin Anderson (2009-12)
to name some of those greats that decorate Furman’s history of success at the
position. Miller is playing at the next level as a wide receiver with the Tampa
Bay, as he enters his third season as a wideout with the Buccaneers. Though
Mason Pline played just one season at Furman, his impact was profound. Like Miller,
Pline is also currently on an NFL roster with the San Francisco 49ers.
THE OFFENSE: Furman had plenty of adversity on both sides last season.
However, the struggles on the offensive side of the football were seemingly the
most profound by far. For instance, the Paladins averaged just 88.9 YPG on the
ground, which is the worst since stats have been kept on rushing dating back to
1973. The Paladins also spent most of the season getting strong-armed, freshman
quarterback Trey Hedden groomed for the future under center, however, by the
end of the season, Hedden would end up sharing time under center with returning
Paladin quarterback Carson Jones.
Both will once again be in the mix to start for the Paladins, and as with
ETSU, both could end up seeing action under center at different points in one
game. The two overwhelming questions for head coach Clay Hendrix on the
offensive side of football, this fall for the Paladins will be the offensive
line as well as the running back position.
Two obvious areas of concern entering the season and two areas that must
be improved if the Paladins and head coach Clay Hendrix hope to have the kind
of season they wish to have. Headlining the offensive line for the 2025 season
will be preseason All-America selection Luke Petit will anchor an offensive
front that has some solid experience back, while also adding some
reinforcements from the transfer portal, in Jaydon Collins (Wake Forest) and
Davis Watson (Cornell). Look for Collins to fill out the final starting spot along
the offensive front heading into 2025, which will likely be right tackle to
take the position that was previously occupied by Blake Hundley last season.
The Furman offensive line will also have a bit of a local flavor, as three of the projected 10 in the preseason two-deep depth chart hail from the Upstate of South Carolina, in offensive tackles Jaydon Collins (Greer HS/Greer, S.C.) and Chase Gregorek (T.L. Hanna HS/Anderson, S.C.) and offensive guard Steven O'Dell (Broome HS/Jonesville, S.C.).
I think Furman’s improvement on the offensive line this season, with
additions it has made in the portal, along with developing some younger talents
like redshirt freshmen O’Dell, Gregorek, and Noah Akinsola. Collins
and Watson, along with the trio of redshirt freshmen, supplement a solid core
of four starters returning to the fold, in center Chris Luna, guard Luke Petit,
tackle Eli Brasher and guard Ryan Lamb. Both Brasher and Petit were preseason
all-league picks, with Brasher garnering first-team honors, while Petit was a
second-team honoree.
Watson was a three-year starter at Cornell, but had his senior season cut short due to injury. He logged action in 17 games at left tackle over the course of three seasons with the Big Red, including having made 13 starts.
With both running back Myion Hicks and Grant Robinson having moved on from the 2024 team, the Paladins will look to both dynamic rising sophomore Gavin Hall, as well as Jay’Quan Smith, who spent the 2024 season rehabbing from a nasty leg injury suffered during his freshman season in a mid-season game against The Citadel back in 2023. Keep an eye on true freshman C.J. Nettles, who could see some time in the running back rotation this fall along with Smith and Hall. Ben Croasdale is another player looking to find time in the running back rotation in 2025.
The Paladins should be set at both tight end and receiver, despite losing both tight end Brock Chappell and top wideout Colton Hinton to the transfer portal.
The Paladins will rely on one of the top young tight ends in the league,
in Jackson Pryor, who returns off a SoCon All-Freshman performance last season,
while 6-7, 265-lb Newberry transfer Luke Clyburn will add even more depth and
size to the position.
Other tight end options that could factor in the passing attack as a big downfield targets is 6-6, 245-lb are Preston Ross, who transferred in from Ball State and will have three years of eligibility remaining, as well Florida State transfer Joshua Burrell, who spent much of last season recovering from an injury. Jackson Pryor made his presence known in Furman's 34-24 loss at William & Mary last season, and that propelled him into what ended up being a big rookie season catching the football for the Paladins, as he hauled in 16 passes for 239 yards and a pair of scores last fall. His six-yard scoring catch from true freshman quarterback Trey Hedden with 1:01 remaining against The Citadel completed an epic 17-16, come-from-behind win over the Bulldogs in Charleston.
As far as receiver is concerned, look for sure-handed veteran Ben
Ferguson to lead a versatile corps of returning wideouts, which includes
big-play threat Devin Hester Jr., as well as Nick Ragano (Wake Forest), who was
also added from the transfer portal.
Ferguson has the best hands of the group, and he ended the season with 24 catches for 349 yards and three touchdowns and has 54 catches for 712 yards and four TDs over the course of his career in the Purple and White. His 24 receptions, 349 receiving yards and three receiving scores in 2024 all ranked second on the team.
The Paladins will miss Jon Holbrook as a member of the rotation at wideout this fall, as he suffered an off-season injury that will require surgery and rehab, however, the Paladins could have a wildcard, in true freshman Evan James, who is likely to contribute in a big way offensively in the slot due to his tremendous speed and versatility. Transfers Kerry King (East Carolina) and Nick Ragano (Wake Forest) also figure into the mix as key contributors at wideout this fall.
THE DEFENSE: Furman’s defense lost a ton from the 2023 season—one which
saw the Paladins produce one of their most dominant units in recent memory,
especially along the defensive line—however, despite that, the Paladins held
their own in most games until a depleted secondary got exploited down the
stretch run of the 2024 season.
With Luke Clark and Evan DiMaggio both playing big roles in that front
seven once again last season, the Paladin were formidable within the front
seven of their 2024 defensive unit. However, with both now having moved on, the
Paladins will look to newly crowned leaders to headline defensive coordinator
Duane Vaughn’s defensive unit this fall. Some reinforcements have been added
within that front seven, especially along the defensive front, as well as five
regulars and several more with starting experience returning for the 2024 campaign.
The defensive front will feature a unit that grew up right before our
eyes last season, with guys like Demetrius Baldwin, Bruce Knauber and Ty Kauserud
all getting valuable reps last fall, while others like Caldwell Bussey, Malachi
Harrison and Joshua Stoneking will look to entrench themselves as starters
along the front. One key addition that could contribute immediately is Joseph Perez-Garibay, who transferred into the
Furman program from Idaho State. Marc Hernandez is another big body at nose tackle
that could be a big asset at nose tackle in terms of depth this season.
Perez-Garibay could give the Paladins a similar type
dominance in closing out running lanes that the Paladins got from former nose tackle Cameron Coleman back in 2022. If you’re looking for a wildcard that comes in and has a big
season in 2025 as a redshirt freshman newcomer this fall, look no further than defensive tackle
Demetrius Baldwin. The 6-1, 271-lb is quick and powerful and was impressive
throughout the spring.
Another position to watch is the ‘bandit’ position, which will be one of the more interesting positional battles throughout the duration of fall camp. Dylan Chiedo, Tanner Schuck and Trevor Short appear to be the main candidates to try and fill the very large shoes left by Luke Clark, who was one of Furman’s best pass-rushers over the past three seasons.
That said, Chiedo and Short are
two under-the-radar, athletic performers that could provide that same type of
ability and athleticism without there being much if any drop-off. Schuck showed
signs in 2024 as well, too, posting a breakout performance in Furman’s win at
The Citadel, posting three tackles and a big sack that stemmed Bulldog
offensive momentum late in the second quarter of Furman’s 17-16, come-from-behind
win last season. Chiedo has a similar body type and potential athletic skill set to that of former Paladin Sackmaster Adrian Hope, who ended his career third in Furman history in career sacks with 25.5 before transferring to Coastal Carolina to play his final season, which was awarded to him as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The linebacking unit may have lost Evan DiMaggio, but talent returns in
the form of Raleigh Hebert, Ryan Earl, and Luke McLaughlin and all looking to
make an impact this fall. Furman also dipped into the portal to find some
supplemental talent at linebacker, in Jordan Burell (Lenoir-Rhyne). The biggest
and most obvious question for Furman entering the 2025 season, however, is the
defensive backfield.
Safeties Caleb Williams, AK Burrell (missed entire 2024 season with
injury) and Billy Lewis are all all-league caliber players, while Trey McCleod
returns as the team’s leading tackler from a year ago, having posted 53 tackles,
two tackles-for-loss, an INT and two pass breakups. SPUR safety/linebacker will
have Justin Hartwell back this fall after having to miss the entire 2024 season,
suffering a season-ending injury similar to AK Burrell in the preseason.
However, the question marks in the secondary for Furman are mostly at the
cornerback position, where guys like Jaylan Moson, Hysan Dalton, Charles Ingram
V, and Maurice Perkins have either moved on via the transfer portal or
graduated. With that said, plenty of help and talent are on the way, with the
Paladin coaching staff bringing in a solid portal haul that includes corners
Keon Jones (Prairie View A&M), Eddie Jackson III (Bryant), and AJ Seay (North
Alabama), and both should have a chance to start right away. Lindenwood
transfer Taylen Blalock was another excellent addition that could pay off in
the immediate future for the Paladins in 2024.
Darren Coleman was among the younger players to get experience on the
defensive side of the ball due to injury issues at cornerback and defensive
back last season, and he could make a valuable impact this fall as being part
of the depth chart, thanks to that on-the-job learning he got late last season.
NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE GAME TO WATCH: vs. William & Mary (Aug. 30)—Last season, Furman fell in a valiant effort with a 34-24 win on the road against a William & Mary team that put up 384 yards on the ground. That was one of the best games Furman played all season. When the Tribe and Paladins meet in the season opener, it will mark the 17th all-time meeting between the two programs, with the series all tied, 8-8, following the Tribe's 10-point win last season.
When the two meet for the 17th time in the 2025 season opener, it will mark the first time since 1972 that the two have faced each other to kickoff a season, as well as marking only the second time in series history that it has ever happened. William & Mary will hope to find itself squarely in the mix for a CAA title in its final season as a league member, which is something that has eluded the program each of the past two seasons, despite the fact the Tribe had a stacked roster of talent and experience.
The Tribe did manage to go 3-0 against Southern Conference competition last season, having knocked off both VMI (W, 41-7) to start the campaign, and gutting out a win on the road at Wofford (W, 28-21) prior to the Tribe's clash with Furman last season.
William & Mary is coming off a one-win improvement last season as
opposed to the 2023 season, as the Tribe finished the 2024 campaign with a 7-5
record, which included a 4-4 conference ledger, which was good enough for a tie
for fifth in the 16-team league this past season. Like Furman last season,
however, the Tribe will be breaking in a lot of new players, including a new
quarterback and three new starters along the offensive front.
A win over a CAA team in the season opener would not only mark the
Paladins first regular-season win over a CAA foe at home since a 2008 win over
Delaware, it would also be exactly the kind of win that could help the SoCon
garner the top of playoff consideration it deserves for multiple teams on
selection Sunday in late November.
CONFERENCE GAME TO WATCH: AT SAMFORD (Sept. 27)—In what was an
especially peculiar season for Furman football last fall, the cancellation of
the Paladins’ game against Samford due to power outages caused by Hurricane
Helene almost seemed par for the course in comparison to how everything else
was going for the Paladins last season.
The Furman vs. Samford clash is one of those that never disappoints in
terms of being a game that seemingly always produces high drama and sometimes
even a little controversy at times. Two years ago, Furman’s 27-21 win over the
Bulldogs was a game that essentially took Furman’s season to another level,
preparing the Paladins for the ultimate test and the ultimate offense a week
later at Western Carolina, in which the Paladins all but won the Southern
Conference.
Those two weeks for pivotal, and it seems games with Samford are always
pivotal for the Paladins. It’s that way, too, for the Bullldogs, who usually
find out a lot about themselves when facing off against Furman. The 34-27 win
in Greenville back in 2022 was enough to help propel the Bulldogs to a big
season and establish confidence that would stay with it the remainder of the
season.
I truly believe the winner of this game will go on to have a big season
in the Southern Conference. The Paladins will be meeting for the 27th
time in a series that began back in 1961. Six of the past nine meetings between
the two programs have been decided by a touchdown or less dating back to the
2015 season. The Paladins hold a narrow 14-12 lead in the all-time series.
“It was a real interesting year in that we were young and then the
injuries we dealt with…and you can say injuries this and that but the truth is
we just weren’t a very good football team and I told the guys before we left
last year that it’s hard for me to find something that we were really good at
and I don’t think it’s from lack of effort or anything like that and I do think
there’s a lot of talent there and the focus has been since we came back last
January is to focus on each area and try and get a little better each day and
we’ve been able to retain extremely well, which I think matters and it’s most
evident when you look and put together an all-conference team and you look at
it and you’re like ‘I don’t know who I am voting for’ and I try and put some
effort into that but it makes it a little challenging and back to us, so I
think I feel a little bit better about knowing who we are and who we’ve got
back and then I think we’ve added some guys from the portal that are really
going to help us.”
FINAL SYNOPSIS: Furman is the type team that could be a dark horse in the Southern Conference race this fall, and with a pair of experienced quarterbacks to lead the offense, and potentially the right pieces on both the offensive line and defensive backfield from the transfer portal, the 2025 season could see Furman do a complete 180 should things fall into place. The Paladins enter the season with a lot of experience at key positions, and got stronger at others from the transfer portal, and in particular, at cornerback--a position unit that might be the most improved on either side of the football in 2025.
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