SoCon Football 2026: Furman and Chattanooga Kickoff the Gridiron Season in the SoCon with a Pair of Thursday Evening Tilts

 

Chattanooga starting quarterback Battle Alberson will lead the Mocs into battle vs West Georgia

State of the SoCon                                                          

When the 2026 commences with a pair of Thursday night games, fans of SoCon football will hope that the season signals a turnaround for the league after whatever we saw last season.

To be honest, the past two seasons haven't been great in terms of how the SoCon has looked in the non-conference, but in the time I have followed the league, which spans the better part of almost three decades, it's undoubtedly the weakest I can remember the SoCon being. You didn't have to get too far beyond the opening three weeks to figure out it was going to be a long season for the SoCon.

Part of the reason the league struggled last season had a lot to do with the fact that it's been quite honestly a down couple years for both Furman and Chattanooga, who both faced each other in a tough second round battle back in the 2023 playoffs. 

Both the Paladins and Mocs could hold their own among the best in the FCS just three years ago, and it's hard to tell if there has just been that much of a talent decline in the league over the past couple of seasons, or if the league has just all together become younger and that's made it a little harder to come by sustaining any kind of success.

The only program that has been able to sustain some success over the past three seasons has been the Mercer Bears, but with 46 departures and a new head coach, it will be interesting to see how the Bears go about trying to become the first team to three-peat as SoCon champs since Wofford was able to that from 2017-19. 

The ’23 season was the start of what has become a “Mercer Machine” on the SoCon gridiron, as two SoCon titles and subsequent FCS Playoff runs later, the Bears look to become the first team since Wofford to win three-straight SoCon shared or outright titles, as the Terriers claimed gridiron crowns in 2017, ’18 (shared with Furman and ETSU) and ’19. 

If the Bears follow through on those lofty preseason predictions, they would be accomplish the feat for just the ninth time and would become the eighth different program in the 93-year history of the SoCon Football to claim three-straight titles, joining Duke (1943-45), West Virginia (1953-56), Furman (1980-84; 1988-90), Georgia Southern (1997-2002), Appalachian State (2005-10); Chattanooga (2013-15) and Wofford (2017-19).

Should the Bears claim a third-consecutive outright SoCon title, it would mark just the fourth time in the history of the league to accomplish the feat, and only second time one of the current members have accomplished the feat. 

Only Furman’s run from 1980-83, which saw the Paladins win four-straight outright crowns under the leadership of Dick Sheridan would mark a better run. The other two programs to accomplish such a feat in the SoCon have long since joined the FBS ranks, with both West Virginia (1953-56) and Duke (1943-45) posting similar dominant runs.

Both Chattanooga and Furman, who will both open their respective seasons on Thursday night, had similar type of turnover in recent seasons. After Furman won 20 games in back-to-back seasons in both 2022 and '23, the Paladins would graduate 46 seniors and lose 39 from their 44-man two-deep depth chart on both offense and defense following the '23 season. 

What followed would be one of the leanest seasons in the modern era of Furman's title-winning success, as the Paladins finished with just a 3-8 overall record, which included just a 2-5 league mark.  Things got notably better last season, but even at that, the Paladins finished just .500, at 6-6, which included a 4-4 mark in SoCon play, tying for fifth in the league standings. 

While Furman was picked second in the preseason in '24, the Mocs found themselves the second place pick at preseason media day in '25, and after posting comparable turnover numbers to that of the Paladins the year before, the Mocs struggled to a 5-7 mark last season, which included a 4-4 mark in Southern Conference play, tying for fifth place overall in the league. 

The Paladins will open their season on Thursday night at home against NCAA Division II member Anderson, which will be playing just its third gridiron campaign in program history. Meanwhile, the Mocs will face off against West Georgia program that will be playing just its third as an NCAA Division I FCS member. 

The Wolves were 2-0 against SoCon foes last season, knocking off Samford (W, 34-3) and East Tennessee State (W, 35-31). In fact, West Georgia has not lost to a SoCon foe since making the move to the FCS ranks just three years ago, also defeating Samford, 38-29, in its first game as an NCAA Division I FCS member.

In that sense, Chattanooga's game on the road carries not only huge importance for the Mocs, but also for the league as a whole. This feels like a game the league has to win. 

Furman will be a considerable favorite in its home opener against Anderson, but head coach Clay Hendrix experienced first-hand what it was like to be upset by a team that wasn't supposed to beat you when PC overcame a 28-7 second quarter deficit to stun the Paladins, 39-38, in overtime.

Though PC was a Division I program, it was one that would go on to top two upper echelon programs in the SoCon last season, as the non-scholarship Pioneer League member would also top Mercer, 15-10, in another stunner that helped sour the campaign for the SoCon as a whole last fall. 

PC's coach last season was Steve Englehart, who is also the newest man in charge at West Georgia. That success of winning 10 games as head coach of the Blue Hose in 2025 helped propel him into taking a step up in level, as he will lead UAC member West Georgia Thursday night in the season opener against Chattanooga. 

If the SoCon is going to change the narrative in 2026, it's going to need to come up with some wins over comparable leagues, and any win on the road against a solid conference and team will go a long way in a committee's discussion of a particular league team on selection Sunday and the hours that precede those final at-large decisions made at the 12th hour.

Last season simply cannot happen again this fall. The rest of the league will open their slates on Saturday, highlighted by a league showdown between The Citadel and Wofford. 

Furman vs. Anderson Preview: A Story of Coaching Friends and Former Teammates

Thursday, Aug 27, 2026

Greenville, S.C./Paladin Stadium

**--First-ever meeting

7 p.m. EST

Furman will open its season in the friendly confines of Paladin Stadium against an Anderson team it has never faced, but one that has a very familiar face leading it, in legendary former Furman quarterback Bobby Lamb, who still holds the career record for passing efficiency () and led the Paladins to the 1985 national title game, which the Paladins lost in heartbreaking fashion--44-42 to Georgia Southern--and that still is a bitter pill for many Paladin fans, especially considering Furman blew a 28-6 third-quarter lead.

Lamb would also go on to lead Furman as a head coach for nine seasons from 2002-2010, as the Paladins to a 67-40 record, including an '04 SoCon title and to the brink of the national title game a year later before the Paladins would eventually lose, 29-23, in the semifinals of the playoffs that season to eventual national champion Appalachian State, who went on to a 21-15 win over Northern Iowa in the national title game. 

It would be the first of three-straight national titles for the former SoCon and FCS member Mountaineers. Lamb would be named the 2004 SoCon Coach of the Year, leading the Paladins to a tie for the '04 league title, which included a No. 2 overall seed for the FCS Playoffs that season. 

Both Hendrix and Lamb grew up in the same neighborhood in Commerce, GA., and were teammates on that 1985 team that reached the national title game. Hendrix enters his 10th season at the helm of Furman's football program, having posted a nearly identical mark of 60-43 over the same amount of time as Lamb spent in Greenville. Hendrix owns a 3-0 record against his good friend as a head coach, posting that mark during Lamb's seven seasons as the head coach of Mercer, as the Paladins bested Lamb's Bears in 2017 (W, 28-21), '18 (W, 35-30) and '19 (W, 45-10).

The two coaches have had a profound effect on the legacy of the Furman football program, and when the two meet on opposing sidelines as head coaches on Saturday night at Paladin Stadium, they will have been a part of 177 of 194 of the wins chalked in that facility as either player, assistant, or head coach since it first opened in 1981. (stat courtesy of Furman's legendary Sports Information Director Hunter Reid).

"It all goes back to being seven years old and my dad shared...we lived across the street from his parents and my dad was a high school football coach and we played a bunch of games together and all the way up to Furman and I guess the two years I left to go to NC State he [Bobby Lamb] stayed and then came back in 1988 until he got hired in 2002 as the head coach and I stayed and I had the opportunity to leave and go to Vanderbilt with coach [Bobby] Johnson and I stayed for a number of reasons, but I worked for him for five years and I think we had four playoff teams in those five years and we coached some of the better teams that have been at Furman," Paladins head coach Clay Hendrix said of his relationship with good friend and Anderson head football coach Bobby Lamb in Monday's season-opening press conference previewing the matchup with the Trojans.

Thursday Night Openers

Thursday's opener against Anderson will mark the third time in the past five seasons the Paladins have opened a football season at home on a Thursday night, as the Paladins also did this in both the 2022 and '23 seasons, respectively, facing off against both North Greenville (W, 52-0) and newly minted league member Tennessee Tech (W, 45-10) in those couple of games.

The Paladins also opened the 2005 and 1997 seasons on Thursday nights in the state of Alabama, as Furman was able to win a thriller over Jacksonville State, as Ingle Martin completed a 2-yard pass to Justin Stepp as time expired, and the Paladins were able to escape Paul Snow Stadium with a 37-35 win back in '05, as then head coach Bobby Lamb and offensive line coach Clay Hendrix celebrated one of the most thrilling non-conference regular-season wins of this millennium. 

In the Paladins' 29-10 road win over Samford in a Thursday night opener in '97, it was a big night for Furman quarterback Chris Jonas, who made his first start under center, throwing for 153 yards and a pair of scores to lead the Paladins to a 19-point win. 

About Anderson...

Anderson enters the 2026 campaign picked to finish seventh in the 10-team South Atlantic Conference and the Trojans are coming off a 5-6 mark last fall after getting off to a 5-2 start last season, however, would drop their final four games of the season to finish just below .500 in just the program's second season of competition. It was a notable improvement for the Trojans, who posted a 3-8 mark in their first-ever gridiron campaign back in '24. 

The Trojans' 2025 season was highlighted by a 35-28 win over perennial SAC power Lenoir-Rhyne. 

The Trojans will have to replace starter Wesley Tyler under center, as he has graduated, but look for the offense to be in the capable hands of redshirt sophomore Wilson Edwards, who finished out the 2025 campaign completing 33-of-66 passes for 508 yards, with three touchdowns and one interception.

Six players were listed among the "Players to Watch" by the league's head coaches in the preseason, with redshirt junior wide receiver Kenneth Brown, redshirt sophomore running back Darren Lloyd, and redshirt junior tight end Tre Broughton highlighting the offensive side of the football, while redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Scotty Miley, redshirt junior defensive back Carter Wit, and redshirt junior outside linebacker Chase Brightharp represent the defensive honorees. 

Coming into the season, the Trojans are expected to be explosive on the offensive side of the ball, led by wideout Zay Williams, who hauled in 18 passes for 342 yards and a touchdown last season for the Trojans. 

Noting Furman...

Furman comes into the new season led by a new signal-caller, with redshirt senior Jake Garcia having won the starting nod to lead the Paladins out onto the Paladin Stadium turf to lead the Paladins Thursday evening.

Garcia has quite a story and has chosen to spend his final season of eligibility in Greenville as the Paladins' starting signal-caller, winning the starting nod during preseason camp. The 6-2, 210-lb quarterback out of Whittier, CA., becomes the latest in a solid list of Furman transfer signal-callers.  Garcia joins the likes of Tyler Huff (Furman starting QB in 2022 and '23 /Presbyterian), Chris Forcier (Furman starting QB in 2011/UCLA), and Ingle Martin (Furman starting quarterback in 2004 and '05). 

Garcia passed for 1,426 yards and eight touchdowns in the 2024 season with East Carolina before opting to transfer defending national champion Michigan, which is where he spent the '25 season. 

The Whittier, CA., native began his college career at the University of Miami in 2021 and saw action in one game during that season for the Hurricanes before going down with an injury that would keep him out for the remainder of the season. 

In 2022, Garcia would complete 68-of-115 passes for 803 yards and five touchdowns with the Hurricanes, including delivering a scoring strike in his first-career start, which was a 14-12 win over Virginia.

The Paladins were hit hard by graduation and the transfer portal on the offensive side of the football during the off-season, losing record-breaking freshman wideout Evan James to the Big Ten and Iowa, while running back Gavin Hall transferred to Shorter, and leading receiving options--wideout Ja'Keith Hamilton and tight end Joshua Burrell--opted to transfer out to East Carolina and Arkansas State, respectively. 

Furman also lost starting signal-caller Trey Hedden to the FBS level, as he transferred out to New Mexico State where he will look to be the starting quarterback for the Aggies this fall. 

Garcia will have some solid weapons around him, however, with Ethan Harris figuring to play a key role in the Paladins' downfield passing attack, while tight end Jackson Pryor established himself as one of the best young offensive players in the SoCon just a couple of years ago, but spent most of last season sidelined with a shoulder injury. Devin Hester Jr. is perhaps Furman's top big-play threat, as he is set to for a breakout campaign in this his third season with the program. He could also be a significant factor as a playmaker in the kick return game for the Paladins once again in 2026. 

Eleven of Furman's 20 wide receivers this fall will be newcomers, as it was a position that was most significantly altered by the transfer portal. Added in the off-season to both supplement the options returning and off-set those that have moved on are wideouts Daniel Haughton (Dartmouth), Dwartney Wortham (Central Florida) and Luke Shields (Tennessee Tech). 

The biggest remaining question in regard to the Furman offensive unit heading into 2026, however, is both the running game and the offensive line. Two starters return from an offensive line that was much improved last season, but still has a long way to grow if the Paladins hope to re-visit any kind of league title or postseason hopes. With young talent mixing with veterans like preseason All-SoCon center Chris Luna and offensive tackle Eli Brasher. 

Others like returnees Steven O'Dell, Bryce Rainwater, Chase Gregorek, along with transfers Parker Peterson (Memphis) and Alofaletauia Maluia (West Georgia) appear to be in line to play significant roles in Furman's offensive line rotation this fall. 

While the offensive line looks to find similar form to those '22 and '23 units enjoyed, it will also be paramount for Furman to have its running backs room take hold of some of that pride that has been lost in running the football each of the past two seasons. CJ Nettles is an elusive, emerging talent in the Paladin backfield that could be in line for a big sophomore season, building off of what were some solid performances over the latter half of the 2025 season. 

Charlotte transfer CJ Stokes and graduate Ben Croasdale could also play key roles, as that trio of backs looks to be the main backbone of what should be a much stronger unit collectively this fall than it has been in several years. 

Since 1971, Furman has had 17 running backs eclipse the 1,000-yard plateau in a single-season but have yet to have one accomplish the feat since 2022 when Dominic Roberto rushed for 1,120 yards and 11 scores in his junior campaign, helping the Paladins to a 10-win season, as well as helping the 'Dins to advance to the second round of the FCS Playoffs. 

If CJ Nettles becomes the 18th Paladin back to eclipse the 1,000-yard plateau this fall, it won't shock me. However, with the most talent returning and added to the backfield since Wayne Anderson and Dominic Roberto were the main backs in 2022, I might be more shocked if there weren't some more shared reps among the trio of backs returning. 

Add in other young talents like freshman Zach Lee and redshirt freshman Isaiah Davis, and I think this might be the most improved offensive unit for the Paladins entering the 2026 season.

With nine starters back on defense, it's easy to see that this will be Furman's calling card this fall in the Southern Conference. The Paladins have arguably the top defensive line and overall front seven in the league, highlighted up front by the return of Buck Buchanan Award runner-up Joshua Stoneking, who led the country last season with 23 tackles-for-loss and 14.5 sacks, while also chipping in with 79 total tackles, which was good enough for the second-highest total on the team last season. 

One of the real x-factors along the defensive line this fall was acquired out of the transfer portal during the off-season, as Wingate transfer defensive end Eli Lipscomb, who will play at the other defensive end spot, and he will give Stoneking a nice buffer, as opposing teams can't load up to just stop one guy.

Lipscomb is the second transfer to come from Wingate to the Paladin program, and he transferred into the Furman program this past January and will have three years of eligibility remaining. 

The other player to transfer into Furman from Wingate in recent seasons is Sirrod Cook, who would go on to be an impact performer on that '23 defense, as that Paladin defensive line would go down as one of the very best in school history, and Hendrix is hoping Lipscomb can have a similar impact with this unit this fall.

Lipscomb was productive in his one season at Lipscomb, as he finished out his rookie campaign with 33 tackles, 9.5 tackles-for-loss, seven sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.  

The 6-1, 228-lb native of Kings Mountain, N.C., will likely make an impact right away along the defensive line for the Paladins this fall, whether that be as a backup to Stoneking at defensive end, or perhaps even being in the running to be a factor at 'Bandit'. 

He had several strong performances last season for the Bulldogs, with the best of those coming against Catawba in a 49-28 win, as he finished the contest with eight tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles. So highly respected was Lipscomb in the preseason that he garnered preseason Second-Team All-SoCon plaudits by the league's head coaches. 

Set to start at the ‘Bandit’ defensive end/outside linebacker spot this fall will be graduate senior Tanner Schuck, who will have the luxury of having played in 23 contests, with 11 starts over the past couple of seasons, including logging 10 starts for the Paladins last season. He finished the 2025 campaign with 41 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss one sack last fall across 12 total games. Schuck’s experience and know-how up front will obviously be beneficial.

Others to watch at defensive end this fall could be supremely talented freshman Robert Lange Jr., as well as veteran Malaki Dobbins.

The interior will be platooned by Ty Kauserud, Garrison Butler, Caldwell Bussey and Demetrius Baldwin, and as good as the Paladins figure to be on the edge, they might be even better at defensive tackle and nose guard this fall. Bussey and Kauserud will play nose tackle, while Baldwin and Butler will complement each other at defensive tackle. Furman's defensive line is undoubtedly the deepest and most talented unit of any on either side of the football entering the 2026 season. 

Furman's linebacking unit is one that has several names that could end up on an all-conference scroll at season's end, including Ryan Earl, who was Furman's best young defensive player two years ago, and after garnering preseason all-league praise heading into 2025, had his season cut short after suffering a season-ending injury in Furman's week two loss to Presbyterian.

Raleigh Herbert is coming off a strong 2025 campaign for the Paladins and he logged starts in all 12 games as a part of an improving defensive unit a year ago, playing a key role in at several Paladin wins. His 48-yard pick-six in Furman’s 31-13 road win at Samford last season had a direct impact on changing the momentum of that contest just before the half in that game.

His acrobatic snag and score against the Bulldogs was one of the top defensive highlights of the season for the Paladins and it showed Herbert’s deceptive overall athleticism and ball skills. Herbert is the perfect example of what will be an unheralded linebacking unit in comparison to some of the others in the SoCon, and yet those underrating this unit will do so at their own peril. Herbert logged starts in all 12 games last season, posting 72 tackles, 4.5 tackles-for-loss and 1.5 sacks to finish the season fourth on the squad in total tackles. 

He posted six tackles and a fumble recovery in what was Furman’s fourth-straight win in the series over The Citadel last season. He recorded a career-high 11 tackles in the loss at Chattanooga and has totaled 17 starts over the past couple of seasons as a key member of the Furman linebacking unit. 

A potential rising star at inside linebacker heading into the upcoming season is redshirt freshman Caleb Ellison. The 5-11, 230-lb, native of Murfreesboro, TN., logged action in two games last season, allowing him to maintain his redshirt status as a rookie last season. He registered a tackle-for-loss against Campbell in what was a key 28-24 road win in what was his debut. 

In the regular-season home finale against VMI, Ellison registered a pair of tackles. Ellison has excellent size and nose for the football, with good instincts. As a senior in high school back in 2024 at Oakland HS, Ellison helped his prep program to a 14-1 record and a 42-20 state title win over Houston HS, which ended up being his third title win in four seasons as a prep at Oakland. He finished the season with 107 tackles and seven sacks en route to being named Region 3-6A Linebacker of the Year in ’24. 

MJ Jenkins, Jacob Hanson and Nick Simmons will add depth at inside linebacker this coming season, and like Ellison, all three redshirted their first rookie seasons in a Furman uniform. Simmons joined the Furman football program last July prior to a standout career at Ware County High School (4A), serving as team captain and leading his team in tackles as a senior. 

Like running back, one of the areas that has shown signs of notable decline since that 10-win season, outright conference-winning season back in 2023 is the secondary, and specifically cornerback. The Paladins have remained relatively solid at the safety positions over the past couple of seasons, but there has been a notably glaring drop-off at cornerback. Most of those seem to be no longer a factor, however, as those players have either transferred out or have graduated. 

Some of that above statement is a bit harsh when you consider cornerback is the hardest position on either side of the ball to play--at least in my opinion--and the fact that the drop-off has come after the Paladins graduated two of their top corners in recent memory, in Travis Blackshear and Micah Robinson (Tennessee Titans). 

With that said, there have been far too many big plays yielded by this unit over the past couple of seasons that have more often than not, proven costly. One of the games I thought Furman really showed some deficiency last at this spot last season was in late-season losses to Mercer and Chattanooga.

The good news is that also like running back, the Paladins might be sneaky good at corner this fall. With Daco Coleman and Jordan Miller being the kind of leaders in the locker room that Furman lacked in a big way during the '24 season, and both were really still too young to fully grasp that role as defined leaders last season, with Miller having been just a true freshman. Both are playmakers and Miller plays with an edge that I like. 

That Fred Smoot (google him) edge, but it's a literal tight rope a cornerback walks in his chosen on field vocation, as there is that line between healthy confidence and outright cockiness, as no position on the football field can humble you quicker than playing corner. 

Miller lived life on the edge at Furman at cornerback last season for the Paladins—from his game-clinching INT and subsequent 95-yard return for a touchdown against East Tennessee State, sealing the 31-22 home win—to the tough afternoon against The Citadel, where he was beaten on go routes not once but twice in a row only to be removed from the game afterwards and not to return in a 24-14 win over the Bulldogs a couple of weeks later. Such is the life of a NCAA Division I cornerback, and it’s a life lived out loud on Saturday afternoons in the fall. This season, the redshirt sophomore has grown up and matured a little more, and he will be the starter at one of the two cornerback positions heading into the 2026 season. 

Miller, a 5-9, 181-lb product out of Conyers, GA. saw action in 11 of 12 contests last season as a redshirt freshman, including starting the final six games of the season. He concluded the campaign by posting 27 tackles, five pass breakups, one INT and one touchdown. 

His 95-yard pick-six on the game’s final play against ETSU not only sealed a 31-22 win for the ‘Dins, it also marked the longest return for a score by a Furman player since Gary Wilkins to a pick 98 yards to the house in Furman’s 27-10 home win over App State back in 2013. Miller’s 95-yard pick return for a score was enough to garner him SoCon Defensive Player of the Week accolades for first week of October.

Miller was one of the few to see meaningful reps to return from last year’s unit this season, as the Paladins lost Eddie Jackson III, AJ Seay and Keon Jones off last season’s roster, with only Jackson III having eligibility of the players mentioned. 

Coleman logged action in 10 of 11 games for the Paladins last fall, and the 5-8, 176-lb native of Lawrenceville, GA, posted his first-career start in Furman’s 28-24 win at Campbell last season. He finished out the campaign with 20 tackles and a pair of pass breakups. Coleman will likely find himself in a heated battle to start at one of the two corner spots in preseason camp. 

A player that is going to see the field a lot this season and another potential starter at cornerback from the outset this fall is redshirt freshman Caleb Easterling. The Richmond Hill, GA., product played sparingly last fall in his first season with the Paladins, and when he was one the field, the impact was felt.

In his first season, Easterling’s impact as both a return man and a ‘hit man’ on special teams were both evident. The 5-9, 179-lb Richmond Hill HS product logged action in only four games, but it was enough to garner him SoCon All-Freshman Team honors a year ago.

Easterling hearkens back to some of the more recent corners to star for the Paladins, like Travis Blackshear or even all the way back to a guy like William Middleton in 2010.

Easterling has a chance to put his name up there with some of the greats that have played corner at Furman, such as guys like Richie Jackson (1998-2001), Rodney Johnson (1998-2001), as well as the aforementioned Blackshear (2018-23) and Middleton (2006-10) should he decide to stick around all four years, but he may be too good to do so in this day in age of big college paydays. 

Easterling is here now and is a player that figures to be a breakout performer for the Paladins on the defensive side of the ball this fall, as well as once again returning kicks. In a 52-28, late-season loss to Mercer, Easterling posted a 100-yard kickoff return against Mercer for a score, while also posting a 76-yard return against Chattanooga to set up the Paladin offense in great field position just before the half the very next week at Chattanooga. 

Those two highlights alone were enough to garner him SoCon All-Freshman Team accolades last season. His 100-yard kickoff return last fall was the longest by a Paladin since 2012, when running back Jerodis Williams took one back 100 yards in a 33-28 road loss at Appalachian State. 

All told, he finished the ’25 campaign with eight kickoff returns for a total of 309 yards (38.6 YPR). In action on the field as an actual defensive player, Easterling saw his most meaningful reps against both Wofford and The Citadel, posting a pair of tackles in the road loss to the Terriers, while also posting a stop in the 24-14 win over The Citadel. His speed is a game-changer for the Paladins, and his physicality and ability to hold up against physical receivers is also noteworthy.

Adding depth at corner will be Michael Woods Jr., who enrolled in classes at Furman back in January and took part in spring drills after spending a couple of seasons at NCAA Division II Northwood University (Mich). The redshirt sophomore logged time in 12 games in his only season of action at Northwood, finishing the ’25 campaign with 42 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss, a fumble recovery and an INT. 

Furman figures to be in great shape at all three safety spots, with Billy Lewis, AK Burrell and Yale transfer Joshua Tarver likely to anchor the unit this fall. Bucknell graduate transfer Aaron Davis figures to provide plenty of veteran leadership. 

Prior to his two seasons spent at Bucknell, Davis also spent two years at NCAA Division II Wheeling University before transferring up to the Patriot League program. Davis logged action in 20 games over two seasons at Bucknell, totaling 73 tackles, including 57 solo, as well as four INTs and a pair of pass breakups. 

Among Davis’ career highlights is a 79-yard pick-six in a 38-35 overtime win over Lehigh back in 2024. In his two seasons at Wheeling, Davis was sensational as a sophomore, posting 42 tackles, an NCAA Division II high 21 pass breakups and four INTs to garner All-Mountain East Conference plaudits. 

Finally, Nathan Chapman appears to have won the place-kicking duties, while Gray Gitter will handle the punting responsibilities for the Paladins in 2026. Both will have some really big shoes to fill after Ian Williams solidified himself as one of the best specialists in the nation over the past couple of seasons, handling the place-kicking, kickoff and punting responsibilities in each of the past two seasons. 

Final Thought and Prediction

This won't be a blowout I don't feel, but I also don't feel that it will be a game in which you ever feel Furman in real threat of losing the game either. I see the Paladins pulling away in the second half to win this one by 17-21 points.

Furman 31, Anderson 14

Chattanooga vs. West Georgia Preview: Mocs Enter 2026 With High Hopes

Thursday, Aug 27, 2026

Carrolton, GA./University Stadium

**--First-ever meeting

7 p.m. EST

While Chattanooga isn't going to redeem the SoCon's reputation with just one win, it could go a long way in helping blaze a path to ultimate recovery for the league by making a strong statement on the road in Carrolton in the Mocs' Thursday night opener against West Georgia. 

It appears as though Battle Alberson will be the quarterback to lead the Mocs into battle this fall, as he has won the starting job for the Mocs in fall camp. Alberson was the National Freshman of the Week honors last season after leading the Mocs to a 45-28 win over Furman last season.

The Mocs saw flashes of being somewhat explosive on the offensive side of the ball last season with Alberson under center. He ended that contest by totaling a UTC Freshman record of 362 yards of total offense, including passing for 227 yards while finishing with 85 rushing yards. He also threw for four touchdowns without an INT. 

He finished the 2025 season by logging action in six games, which included making three starts, as he ended the campaign by passing for 630 yards and five scores on 47-of-79 passing. 

Head coach Rusty Wright will certainly hope things go better than they have the past two seasons under center for UTC, starting four different signal-callers in different games over the past couple of seasons. 

Quarterback isn't the lone concern for the Mocs heading into the 2026 season, as the Mocs haven't really had a consistent ground-gainer emerge out of the backfield over the course of the past two seasons.

The top three ground-gainers from last season--Justus Durant (678 rush yds, 4 TDs), Ryan Ingram (578 rush yds, 8 TDs) and Camden Orth (389 rush yds, 5 TDs)--have all moved on. That leaves the ground game responsibilities to Journey Wyche (62 rush att, 334 yds, 4 TDs, 5.4 YPC) for the upcoming season.

The Mocs finished a more than respectable 26th in the country in ground yardage last season, averaging 184.3 YPG on the ground, and so whatever the struggles the offense encountered during the 2025 season, it was no fault of the ground attack.

The Mocs will also have to replace maybe their top playmaker overall on the offensive side of the football overall from last fall, with Markell Quick having transferred out to Southern Illinois. All he did last season for the Mocs was haul in 37 passes for 686 yards, with four scoring catches, averaging 18.5 YPR.

The good news for Chattanooga is another of its leading pass-catchers from last season does return, in Josh Williams. Williams finished off the '25 season by hauling in a team-best 44 catches for 585 yards and four scores, averaging 13.3 YPR. Williams became one of Alberson's favorite targets in the short part of the season in which the two shared the field with one another, which included a 66-yard scoring catch against Furman and an 11-catch, 118-yard performance in UTC's regular-season finale loss to Wofford. 

Williams will be joined at wideout by some promising talents that could see the Mocs field a solid receiving corps this fall. One of those expected to be an impact transfer for Chattanooga this upcoming season as Ashton Schumann has joined the program from Central Oklahoma where he was a standout having hauled in 141 catches for 1,809 yards and 12 TDs in 24 games. 

Another potential playmaker as a part of the unit will be Cornell graduate transfer Davon Kiser, who hauled in 46 career grabs for 547 yards and a pair of touchdowns, despite playing in only four games over the past two seasons for the Big Red. Redshirt freshman wideout Jaden George also remains one to keep an eye on this fall for UTC.

Tight end should yet again be a strong position on the offensive side of the ball for the Mocs, as veteran John McIntyre returns after starting all 12 games last season and has totaled 13-career starts entering the '26 campaign In his career for the Mocs, McIntyre has proven to be a reliable down field target, having hauled in 23 passes for 241 yards and a pair of scores over the course of the 21 games he has suited up and played for UTC in his career.

One intriguing talent at tight end to join the Mocs program via the transfer portal is Will Jackson-Linkhart, who joined UTC's program from Tiffin where he hauled in 80 career grabs for 866 yards and nine scores.

Another down field option among the tight ends returning from last season is Landon Strickland, who was outstanding as a true freshman last fall, hauling in six passes for 69 yards and a touchdown. Strickland hauled in his first-career scoring catch as a Mocs tight end in the late-season, 17-point win over Furman, which was a 25-yard dart from Battle Alberson. 

In the trenches, Chattanooga returns 10 players that played significant roles from last season, and that includes returning three starters to the mix. Left tackle Aidan Donald, center Devin Lively and right guard Nick Paul return as those players that started along the offensive front for Chattanooga last season. Both Paul and Donald ended up starting all 12 games for UTC in 2025.

Lively is among the most talented offensive linemen in the SoCon, and he should compete for the league's prestigious Jacobs Blocking Award in '26. Watts Alexander is expected to step into a starting role at left guard this fall, while junior Morehead State transfer Jacob Ziegler figures to play a prominent role as a part of the '26 rotation along the offensive line.

Despite the troubles under center from a year ago, the Mocs managed to rank solidly on the offensive side of the football in '25, completing the campaign by ranking 52nd nationally in total offense (374.7 YPG), while finishing out the season ranking 45th in scoring offense (28.2 PPG). 

On the defensive side of the football, the '25 season was very "Un-Chattanooga-like", especially for what we have come to know the Mocs in terms of physicality in the trenches under head coach Rusty Wright and prior to that, Russ Huesman.

The Mocs finished the campaign ranking an uncharacteristic 91st in the nation in total defense, surrendering 403.1 YPG last fall. The Mocs gave up its most average yards per game since 2008, which saw the Mocs surrender 442.5 YPG in Rodney Allison's final season as head coach back in 2008. 

Chattanooga's 14 total sacks over a full 12-game slate were its lowest total since 2017, when UTC finished with just 11 quarterback takedowns for the season under then first-year head coach Tom Arth. The Mocs surrendered 33.0 PPG last season, which ranked 100th in the FCS and were the most points given up per game in 18 years. 

Big changes have to be made on the defensive side of the football this fall if the Mocs want to find themselves back among the league's elite as both conference title and playoff contenders this fall. 

The Mocs were uncharacteristically bad on the defensive side of the football last season, and with five regulars back from last season, there’s reason to believe that there will be some sound improvements made on that side of the football this fall. Just how bad was Chattanooga defensively last season? The Mocs finished the season ranking as one of the worst defensive units in the Rusty Wright era, as the Mocs finished the season ranking 91^st overall in total defense last season, surrendering 403.1 YPG. Chattanooga ranked similarly low in scoring defense last season, finishing the season ranked 100^th overall nationally, allowing 33.0 PPG. That is unheard of for a Chattanooga defense.

Along the defensive line, the Mocs do have to replace some significant outgoing talent along the defensive front, like defensive end Jamarr Jones, who has transferred to Tennessee Tech, but the unit should still be solid and improved this season, led by the likes of preseason All-SoCon pick Orlando Daniels, as well as defensive tackle Ky Tayo and defensive tackle Montrell Henderson. 

Daniels could be the next star in the making among defensive linemen in the league this fall, as he comes off a 2026 season, which saw him start 11 of 12 games for the Mocs last fall, posting 24 tackles, five tackles-for-loss and a pair of sacks. Jestin Gilmore is another veteran that returns to the Chattanooga defensive front with his eyes on having a bigger role at defensive end this fall, and should be in line to compete for a starting spot.

Tayo was a preseason second-team all-league pick heading into the ’26 season, and is another player that could be in line for a big season along the defensive front for the Mocs this fall. He started nine out of 12 games for the Mocs last season, posting a total of 20 tackles, 1.5 tackles-for-loss and half-a-sack. 

His top highlight last season came in the win late in the campaign against Furman, picking off a Trey Hedden pass and returning it 51 yards for a score to turn the tide of the game, as the Mocs went on to a 45-28 win at Finley Stadium. 

One of the transfers to keep an eye on this season is Presbyterian transfer Terry Mikell, who will have one year of eligibility remaining this fall. He appeared in 11 games for the Blue Hose last season, posting 14 tackles, an interception and a pass breakup.

The middle of the Chattanooga defense will be anchored by linebacker Zion Rutledge, who is also a preseason first-team all-conference pick, as he should pick up right where he left off in 2025, starting 11 out of 12 games for Chattanooga, posting an all-conference season, which included 100 total tackles, 47 solo stops, 4.5 tackles-for-loss and a sack. His signature performance of the season came against The Citadel, posting 17 stops. He also posted 13 total tackles in a non-conference loss to Tarelton State. Transfers Bryce Washington (Ohio Dominican) and LaRawn Robinson (Southern Connecticut State) could be in line to start alongside Rutledge this fall, as both arrived at UTC during the spring in time to join the team for spring practice.

The Chattanooga back line is usually a solid unit and this season should be no exception, as the Mocs will have one of the top safeties in the league this fall, in returning starting strong safety Kam Baah-Slay, who enters the campaign as another preseason First-Team All-SoCon pick, and posted a league-best 19-tackle performance in the Mocs’ loss to The Citadel last season. 

Slay, who started all 12 games at strong safety, ranked second on the team in tackles with 89 stops last season, including 60 solo tackles. He also added a tackle-for-loss, a forced fumble and a pair of pass breakups.

DJ Adams and Keyshawn Jackson return as the two most likely starters at corner for Chattanooga this fall, while Martez Cooksey Jr. is in line to start at nickel safety, while AJ Wallace and Jordan Davis will be in competition to start at free safety.

I expect Chattanooga will return to being one of the better defensive units in the SoCon this fall, with a lot of continuity and talent returning at all three levels combined with the addition of several potential impact transfers.

The Steve Englehart Era Commences at West Georgia...

There will be a new man in charge of West Georgia football this fall, as former Presbyterian head coach Steve Englehart takes the reins of a Wolves football program, which will be entering its third campaign playing NCAA Division I FCS Football, and it will mark the third-straight season in which the Wolves will open the season against a SoCon foe. 

The past two have seen the Wolves open the campaign successfully with a pair of wins over Samford, including what was a 38-29 win over the Bulldogs back in '24 in Carrolton. The latest season-opening triumphs came in '25, and that was a 35-3 demolition of those same Samford Bulldogs in Homewood last season. The Wolves would also go on to take down SoCon foe East Tennessee State in thrilling fashion, using 15 unanswered points to stun ETSU, 35-31, in Carrolton last fall. 

The other major win in the opening three weeks of the season was a 34-10 win over No. 22 Nicholls State in Thibodaux, LA., to start 3-0. It would all be part of a 5-0 start before the Wolves would eventually be brought back to reality, with a 44-30 loss at then No. 21 Austin Peay. That would begin a three-game losing streak to ranked foes, as the Wolves would follow with losses to No. 19 Abilene Christian (L, 30-13) and at No. 3 Tarleton State (L, 45-10). That would end up being the lone three losses of the season, as the Wolves finished out the season 8-3 overall, including a 5-3 mark in the UAC and is among those teams receiving votes heading into the 2026 season.

Simultaneous to what head coach Joel Taylor was doing in Carrolton last fall in what would turn out to be his final of two seasons spent at UWG before transitioning into the head coaching job in middle Georgia at Mercer, Steve Englehart was weaving a little magic of his own as the head coach at FCS Pioneer Football League program Presbyterian, as he would lead the Blue Hose to its first 10-win campaign as an NCAA Division I FCS program. Among those 10 wins included a pair over SoCon programs, in Furman (W, 39-38 OT) and Mercer (W, 15-10).

Those two losses to Englehart's Blue Hose last season were enough to effectively end hype that could have materialized in '25 surrounding SoCon football. With that said, he will get a chance to try and make it a third-straight win over a SoCon member leading a different FCS program on Thursday night, as the Wolves host a Chattanooga program intent on putting a 5-7 season a year ago as far in the rearview mirror as humanly possible.

Traditionally, the Wolves have been a tough nut to crack for the opposition when it comes to Thursday night contests in recent campaigns, as West Georgia has won its last 10 games played on Thursday nights against opposing teams. The Wolves have also won 13-straight season openers.

As you might expect, there has been a lot of turnover for the Wolves from last season with the change at head coach. The good news is many of those key pieces that helped the Blue Hose post that unprecedented season last season, which won 10 games and was close to winning an auto bid to the postseason with a Pioneer Football League title, and one of those important chess pieces from Englehart's former employer to make the transition with him to his current one is quarterback Collin Hurst. 

Only eight former UWG players return that had career starts for the Wolves previously as a part of their resumes. In addition to Hurst, Englehart added 11 more PC transfers, and all of them will likely play a key role in '26. In fact, the Wolves have almost an entirely different team all together, with 70 newcomers, including 42 transfers joining the program, set to join the UWG team for the '26 season. 

Hurst was a 2024 Freshman All-America selection in 2024 and followed that up by being named the Pioneer Offensive Player of the Year this past season and finished his two-year career with a 16-5 record as a starter under center. All told, he finished out his two seasons with the Blue Hose connecting on 384-of-570 passes for 5,066 yards, totaling 43 touchdown passes, including 26 this past season. He also has 231 rushing yards and seven scores on the ground in his career in Clinton.

Englehart was also able to persuade, some other high-profile Blue Hose to ultimately join he and Hurst in Carrollton, GA. for the upcoming campaign, with the likes of All PFL running back Justin Montgomery (rushed for 845 yards and 10 TDs in two seasons at PC/rushed for 744 yds in 2025).

When going to the air, the Wolves will look to former Blue Hose wideout BJ Atkins, who saw action in 10 games for the Blue Hose last season, hauling in 27 passes for 376 yards and a touchdown. Atkins also added five rushes for 51 yards last fall. Malik Leverett, who joins the UWG program from East Carolina, has good size at 6-3, 196 lbs, could be a big target in the passing game. Aidan Sefa is one of the of the few holdovers at tight end, and he logged action in games last season, which allowed him to retain his redshirt. 

A re-tooled offensive line will be anchored by Campbell transfer Freddy Pauling at left tackle, while Elijah Ruiz returns with one career start under his belt at the left guard spot. 

On the defensive side of the football, Englehart added a pair of talented former Blue Hose defenders, in linebacker Michael Torres (74 tackles, 7.0 TFL, 3.0 sacks) and safety Malik Lewis (59 tackles, 5.0 TFL, 1 FR in 2025). Another player to watch at edge rusher could be Elijah Barnes, who Englehart added out of the portal from NCAA Division II Wingate, and Barnes posted 14 tackles, 5.5 tackles-for-loss and a pair of sacks last season. 

Interestingly, West Georgia and Chattanooga have never met on the gridiron, and also surprising is not one player garnered preseason UAC honors for the Wolves. That's a high level of disrespect for a team that won eight games last season, and that's even despite the huge turnover due to the coaching change. The Wolves were also picked a surprising sixth in the eight-team league. 

Final Thought and Prediction:

This game as you might expect is a little tougher to project than the Furman-Anderson contest, but it's a game that could have some pretty big implications for the season in the SoCon moving forward. What I mean by that is a road win here could be a harbinger of good things on the horizon for the SoCon on the gridiron this fall. A loss wouldn't be devastating, but it wouldn't be a good start for the league. I can recall a time when games like these saw a formidable SoCon program like Chattanooga would make easy work of a game like this to open the campaign. We're pretty far removed from those days on the SoCon gridiron, but while it's not been a last couple of seasons for the league and for the Mocs, a lot could turn around in a positive direction for Mocs and the SoCon here. Unfortunately, as much as I want to pick the Mocs to win this one, the fact that UWG is tough at home and with such a savvy quarterback under center like Collin Hurst, I have to take the Wolves to take down UTC in a low-scoring game in the season opener.

West Georgia 21, Chattanooga 17