GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Fifteen Furman Paladins have earned football All-Southern Conference honors in separate balloting by league head coaches and sports media, it was announced today.

The 15 players combined to register five first team citations and eight second team accolades on the two squads, and a league high seven Paladins were named to the SoCon All-Freshman Team, as selected by the head coaches.

Earning consensus All-SoCon first team honors were tackle Bo Layton and placekicker Grayson Atkins.  They were joined by bandit Adrian Hope and safety Bryan Okeh, who were named to the coaches' first team, and by tailback Devin Wynn, who registered a first team tab on the media ballot.

Consensus second team honors went to offensive guard Jordan Harris, wide receiver Thomas Gordon, and Atkins, the Paladins' multi-tool specialist who combined his first team scroll as a placekicker with a second team citation at punter — the only player to earn all-conference honors at more than one position.  They were joined as second team picks by spur Jordan Willis on the coaches team and Okeh on the media ballot.

Furman's seven SoCon All-Freshman Team included running back Devin Abrams, tailback Wayne Anderson, quarterback Darren Grainger, center Evan Jumper, bandit Josh Agbenou, linebacker Branden Gilby, and cornerbacks Travis Blackshear.

The all-conference selection was the second for both Layton, a 6-foot-5, 287-pound senior from Knoxville, Tenn., and Atkins, a junior and 2018 All-American from Inman, S.C., who ran his streak of consecutive made field goals to 18 before missing from 43 yards in a 28-7 win over Western Carolina.  He has converted 22 of his last 23 field goals, including 13 from 40 yards and beyond.

Hope's first team pick follows a regular season that saw the Ocala, Fla., redshirt sophomore register a team leading 5.5 sacks to up his career tally to 20.5, good for third all-time at Furman. 

Okeh, a senior from Powder Springs, Ga., who has compiled 55 tackles and two interceptions this year, is the Paladins' most veteran performer with 46 games played and 37 starts.  

Wynn, meanwhile, fashioned a superb regular season, becoming the first Paladin 1,000-yard rusher (1,121) since 2013, averaging 6.8 yards per carry, and scoring a team leading 14 touchdowns.  The Greensboro, Ga., product has climbed to 15th on Furman's career rushing chart with 1,896 yards.

Harris, a redshirt junior from Atlanta, Ga., played a key role in Furman's ground attack (275.8 ypg) ranking fifth in the FCS, with 11 starts and 648 play participations. 

Gordon headlined the Paladins' passing game with 47 receptions for 752 yards and five touchdowns.  The Charlotte, N.C., product became Furman's all-time receiving yards leader this past Saturday, upping his career number to 2,528 yards.

Atkins combined his first team pick at placekicker with his second team scroll at punter after averaging 43.3 yards on 36 attempts, including seven, 50-plus yard efforts.

Willis, a senior co-captain from St. Augustine, Fla., topped Furman's SoCon leading scoring defense (18.8 ypg) with a unit high 78 tackles.

Furman's seven SoCon All-Freshman Team selections registered solid numbers in their inaugural campaigns.  Abrams, who hails from Pensacola, Fla., and ran for 595 yards and six touchdowns while averaging 6.5 yards per carry, was joined in the backfield by Anderson, from Prosper, Texas, who rushed for 305 yards, among which were 66 and 63-yard touchdown runs against Charleston Southern and Wofford, respectively.

Grainger, a Conway, S.C., product, started in 10 games and passed for 1,203 yards and 13 touchdowns, including 311 yards and four scores against Georgia State.

Rounding out Furman's four picks to the SoCon All-Freshman Team offense was Jumper, from Myrtle Beach, S.C.,  who started in eight games this fall.

Defensively Gilby led the way 67 tackles, the second highest tally on the unit.  The St. Petersburg, Fla., native earned SoCon Defensive Player of the Week honors for a 12-tackle performance in his career debut versus Virginia Tech.

Blackshear, from Savannah, Ga., made 10 starts and was credited with 45 tackles, a sack, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery in 2019.

Agbenou, a native of Bethlehem, Ga., was credited with 25 tackles this fall.

Furman (8-4, 6-2 SoCon) plays at Austin Peay (9-3, 7-1 OVC) on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. in NCAA FCS First Round Playoff action that will be broadcast by ESPN3.

2019 ALL-SOUTHERN CONFERENCE FOOTBALL TEAMS (COACHES)

Offensive Player of the Year
Joe Newman, Sr., QB, Wofford

Defensive Player of the Year
Willie Eubanks III, Jr., LB, The Citadel

Freshman of the Year
Ailym Ford, RB, Chattanooga

Jacob Blocking Award
Blake Jeresaty, Jr., OL, Wofford

Coach of the Year
Scott Wachenheim, VMI

First Team Offense
QB    Joe Newman, Wofford
RB    Ailym Ford, Chattanooga
RB    Alex Ramsey, VMI
OL    Ben Blackmon, ETSU
OL    Bo Layton, Furman
OL    Nick Nixon, Samford
OL    Justus Basinger, Wofford
OL    Blake Jeresaty, Wofford
TE    Nate Adkins, ETSU
WR    Raleigh Webb, The Citadel
WR    Bryce Nunnelly, Chattanooga
WR    Jakob Herres, VMI

First Team Defense
DL    Joseph Randolph II, The Citadel
DL    Nasir Player, ETSU
DL    Adrian Hope, Furman
DL    Devonnsha Maxwell, Chattanooga
LB    Willie Eubanks III, The Citadel
LB    John Staton, Samford
LB    Jireh Wilson, Wofford
DB    Artevius Smith, ETSU
DB    Bryan Okeh, Furman
DB    Brandon Dowdell, Chattanooga
DB    A.J. Smith, VMI

First Team Special Teams
PK    Grayson Atkins, Furman
P    Matt Campbell, The Citadel
RS    David Durden, Mercer

Second Team Offense
QB    Reece Udinski, VMI
RB    Quay Holmes, ETSU
RB    Devin Wynn, Furman
OL    Drew McEntyre, The Citadel
OL    Tre'mond Shorts, ETSU
OL    Jordan Harris, Furman
OL    Austin Sanders, Mercer
OL    Cole Strange, Chattanooga
OL    Michael Ralph, Wofford
TE    Chris Ellington, Mercer
WR    Thomas Gordon, Furman
WR    David Durden, Mercer

Second Team Defense
DL    Dorian Kithcart, Mercer
DL    Khayyan Edwards, Chattanooga
DL    Telvin Jones, Chattanooga
DL    Michael Mason, Wofford
LB    Jordan Willis, Furman
LB    Sidney Otiwu, Mercer
LB    Marshall Cooper, Chattanooga
DB    Chris Beverly, The Citadel
DB    Eric Jackson, Mercer
DB    John Brannon III, Western Carolina
DB    George Gbesee, Wofford

Second Team Special Teams
PK    Mitchell Fineran, Samford
P    Grayson Atkins, Furman
RS    Montrell Washington, Samford

All-Freshman Offense
Will Huzzie, ETSU
Devin Abrams, Furman
Wayne Anderson, Furman
Darren Grainger, Furman
Evan Jumper, Furman
Yahsyn McKee, Mercer
Jay Stanton, Samford
A.J. Toney, Samford
Ailym Ford, Chattanooga
Leroy Thomas, VMI
Jacquez Allen, Wofford

All-Freshman Defense
Hasan Black, The Citadel
Donovan Manuel, ETSU
Josh Agbenou, Furman
Travis Blackshear, Furman
Braden Gilby, Furman
Richie Coffey, Mercer
TriMarcus Cheeks, Samford
Kameron Brown, Chattanooga
Aljareek Malry, VMI
Keyvaun Cobb, Wofford
Michael Mason, Wofford

All-Freshman Special Teams
Tyler Keltner, ETSU
Caleb Dowden, Mercer
Zach Lassiter, Mercer
Julian Pletz, Western Carolina

2019 ALL-SOUTHERN CONFERENCE TEAMS (SOCON SPORTS MEDIA ASSOCIATION)

Roy M. "Legs" Hawley Offensive Player of the Year
Joe Newman, Sr., QB, Wofford

Defensive Player of the Year
Willie Eubanks III, Jr., LB, The Citadel

Freshman of the Year
Ailym Ford, RB, Chattanooga

Wallace Wade Coach of the Year
Josh Conklin, Wofford

First Team Offense
QB    Joe Newman, Wofford
RB    Devin Wynn, Furman
RB    Alex Ramsey, VMI
OL    Drew McEntyre, The Citadel
OL    Bo Layton, Furman
OL    Nick Nixon, Samford
OL    Justus Basinger, Wofford
OL    Michael Ralph, Wofford
TE    Chris James, Chattanooga
WR    Bryce Nunnelly, Chattanooga
WR    Jakob Herres, VMI

First Team Defense
DL    Joseph Randolph II, The Citadel
DL    Nasir Player, ETSU
DL    Devonnsha Maxwell, Chattanooga
DL    Michael Mason, Wofford
LB    Willie Eubanks III, The Citadel
LB    John Staton, Samford
LB    Marshall Cooper, Chattanooga
LB    Jireh Wilson, Wofford
DB    Artevius Smith, ETSU
DB    Eric Jackson, Mercer
DB    Brandon Dowdell, Chattanooga
DB    A.J. Smith, VMI
DB    JerMichael White, Western Carolina

First Team Special Teams
PK    Grayson Atkins, Furman
P    Matt Campbell, The Citadel
RS    David Durden, Mercer

Second Team Offense
QB    Reece Udinski, VMI
RB    Ailym Ford, Chattanooga
RB    Quay Holmes, ETSU
OL    Jordan Harris, Furman
OL    Austin Sanders, Mercer
OL    Cole Strange, Chattanooga
OL    Josh Andre, VMI
OL    Blake Jeresaty, Wofford
TE    Chris Ellington, Mercer
WR    Raleigh Webb, The Citadel
WR    Thomas Gordon, Furman

Second Team Defense
DL    Adrian Hope, Furman
DL    Armond Lloyd, Samford
DL    Khayyan Edwards, Chattanooga
DL    Jarrod Richmond, VMI
LB    Ty Boeck, Chattanooga
LB    Ty Harris, Western Carolina
LB    Jayden Pauling, Western Carolina
DB    Chris Beverly, The Citadel
DB    Bryan Okeh, Furman 
DB    John Brannon III, Western Carolina
DB    George Gbesee, Wofford

Second Team Special Teams
PK    Mitchell Fineran, Samford
P    Grayson Atkins, Furman
RS    Montrell Washington, Samford