GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Furman bandit Adrian Hope and placekicker Grayson Atkins have been tabbed STATS FCS Preseason All-Americans, it was announced today.

Hope, a rising redshirt sophomore, and Atkins, a junior, were both named to the STATS All-America second team and are among eight players from the Southern Conference to garner preseason All-America recognition.

Hope is coming off a 2018 season that saw him pace the Football Championship Subdivision with 15.0 sacks and top all defenders in voting with a fourth place finish in balloting for the Jerry Rice Award, which is presented annually to the top freshman in the FCS.  The 6-foot-1, 218-pound Ocala, Fla., product, who earned All-SoCon and Associated Press second team All-America honors last fall, also ranked second nationally with five forced fumbles in 2018. 

Atkins fashioned a superb sophomore season, converting 11-of-13 field goals, four of which covered 50+ yards.  The Inman, S.C., native and All-SoCon performer who joined Hope in earning AP second team All-America laurels, missed his first two attempts in 2018 before finishing the campaign with 11 consecutive makes, just one shy of the Furman record.  He also served as the Paladins' punter, averaging 42.8 yards per attempt, and recorded 29 kickoff touchbacks, nearly twice as many as his nearest league competitor.

Hope and Atkins played key roles in Furman winning five of its final six games en route to claiming a share of the 2018 SoCon championship — the league-best 14th in program history.

Furman, which returns 17 starters off last year's squad, kicks off the 2019 season on Aug. 31 when it plays host to Charleston Southern at Paladin Stadium.

2019 STATS FCS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA TEAMS

FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
QB - Jake Maier, senior, 6-0, 200, UC Davis
RB - A.J. Hines, senior, 5-11, 225, Duquesne
RB - James Robinson, senior, 5-10, 220, Illinois State
WR - Michael Bandy, senior, 5-11, 190, San Diego
WR - Josh Pearson, senior, 6-4, 205, Jacksonville State
WR - Nathan Stewart, senior, 6-0, 180, Sam Houston State
TE - Charlie Taumoepeau, senior, 6-3, 240, Portland State
OL - J'Von Brown, senior, 6-3, 350, Central Connecticut State
OL - Noah Johnson, senior, 6-4, 302, Idaho
OL - Zack Johnson, senior, 6-6, 317, North Dakota State
OL - Zach Larsen, senior, 6-1, 305, Southern Utah
OL - Kyle Murphy, senior, 6-4, 312, Rhode Island

DEFENSE
DL - Sully Laiche, senior, 6-2, 270, Nicholls
DL - Nasir Player, senior, 6-5, 271, ETSU
DL - Chris Terrell, senior, 6-3, 270, Central Arkansas
DL - Nick Wheeler, senior, 6-2, 255, Colgate
LB - Jabril Cox, junior, 6-3, 233, North Dakota State
LB - Cam Gill, senior, 6-3, 230, Wagner
LB - Zach Hall, senior, 6-0, 230, Southeast Missouri
LB - Dante Olson, senior, 6-3, 237, Montana
DB - Marlon Bridges, senior, 6-0, 200, Jacksonville State
DB - Manny Patterson, senior, 5-10, 180, Maine
DB - Rashad Robinson, senior, 5-11, 185, James Madison
DB - Isiah Swann, senior, 6-0, 190, Dartmouth

SPECIAL TEAMS
PK - Aidan O'Neill, senior, 6-1, 199, Towson
P - Alex Pechin, graduate, 6-0, 210, Bucknell
LS - Bradey Sorenson, junior, 6-2, 225, South Dakota State
KR - Jean Constant, senior, 5-9, 180, Stony Brook
PR - D'Angelo Amos, junior, 6-1, 186, James Madison
ATH - Shane Simpson, senior, 5-9, 200, Towson
ATH - Troy Andersen, junior, 6-3, 215, Montana State

SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
QB - Tom Flacco, senior, 6-1, 208, Towson
RB - Josh Davis, sophomore, 5-9, 195, Weber State
RB - Pierre Strong Jr., sophomore, 5-11, 200, South Dakota State
RB - De'Shawn Waller, senior, 5-11, 210, Alcorn State
WR - Cade Johnson, junior, 5-10, 175, South Dakota State
WR - Bryce Nunnelly, junior, 6-2, 190, Chattanooga
WR - Aaron Parker, senior, 6-3, 191, Rhode Island
TE - Briley Moore, senior, 6-3, 242, Northern Iowa
OL - Justus Basinger, senior, 6-4, 305, Wofford
OL - Spencer Blackburn, senior, 6-2, 290, Eastern Washington
OL - Liam Fornadel, junior, 6-4, 307, James Madison
OL - Drew Himmelmann, junior, 6-10, 315, Illinois State
OL - Marcus Pettiford, senior, 6-4, 293, North Carolina A&T

DEFENSE
DL - Darin Greenfield, senior, 6-3, 240, South Dakota
DL - Aaron Patrick, senior, 6-4, 245, Eastern Kentucky
DL - Derrek Tuszka, senior, 6-5, 243, North Dakota State
DL - Kayon Whitaker, senior, 6-2, 255, Maine
LB - Bryson Armstrong, junior, 5-11, 212, Kennesaw State
LB - Jeremiah Chambers, senior, 6-1, 220, Abilene Christian
LB - Jonas Griffith, senior, 6-4, 240, Indiana State
LB - Adrian Hope, sophomore, 6-1, 218, Furman
LB - Christian Rozeboom, senior, 6-2, 225, South Dakota State
DB - Abu Daramy-Swaray, senior, 5-10, 190, Colgate
DB - Franklin "Mac" McCain III, junior, 5-11, 173, North Carolina A&T
DB - Tyree Robinson, junior, 5-11, 184, ETSU
DB - Dorian Walker, senior, 6-0, 181, Kennesaw State

SPECIAL TEAMS
PK - Grayson Atkins, junior, 5-10, 187, Furman
P - Cade Coffey, junior, 6-1, 198, Idaho
LS - Josh Brady, senior, 6-3, 238, Jacksonville State
KR - Rashid Shaheed, junior, 6-0, 175, Weber Stat
PR - Nick Rinella, senior, 5-10, 200, Saint Francis
ATH - Kentel Williams, senior, 6-0, 190, Austin Peay

THIRD TEAM
OFFENSE
QB - Tyrie Adams, senior, 6-2, 180, Western Carolina
RB - Juwon Farri, sophomore, 5-10, 185, Monmouth
RB - Quay Holmes, sophomore, 6-1, 216, ETSU
RB - Jordan Meachum, senior, 5-10, 200, Sacred Heart
WR - Jequez Ezzard, senior, 5-9, 190, Howard
WR - Reed Klubnik, senior, 6-3, 200, Yale
WR - Kristian Wilkerson, senior, 6-1, 210, Southeast Missouri
TE - Adam Trautman, senior, 6-6, 253, Dayton
OL - Darius Anderson, junior, 6-3, 305, Jacksonville State
OL - Jack Badovinac, junior 6-2, 290, Colgate
OL - Mitch Brott, senior, 6-6, 290, Montana State
OL - Reily Radosevich, senior, 6-3, 265, Princeton
OL - Ty Whitworth, junior, 6-4, 295, Weber State

DEFENSE
DL - Ron'Dell Carter, senior, 6-3, 273, James Madison
DL - Maurice Jackson, senior, 6-2, 265, Richmond
DL - Bryce Sterk, senior, 6-5, 250, Montana State
DL - Khristian Tate, senior, 6-0, 280, Georgetown
LB - Glenn Cunningham, junior, 6-2, 226, Fordham
LB - Da'Jon Lee, senior, 6-2, 235, Saint Francis
LB - Solomon Muhammad, senior, 6-1, 235, Alcorn State
LB - DeShawn Stevens, junior, 6-1, 250, Maine
LB - Evan Veron, senior, 6-0, 215, Nicholls
DB - Tymere Berry, junior, 6-1, 175, Monmouth
DB - Jeremy Chinn, senior, 6-2, 211, Southern Illinois
DB - Zyon McCollum, junior, 6-4, 190, Sam Houston State
DB - Ju'Anthony Parker, senior, 5-11, 165, Prairie View A&M
DB - Will Warner, senior, 6-3, 201, Drake

SPECIAL TEAMS
PK - Chase Vinatieri, senior, 6-1, 225, South Dakota State
P - Chris Faddoul, junior, 6-1, 182, Florida A&M
P - Garret Wegner, junior, 6-0, 193, North Dakota State
LS - Chandler Collins, senior, 6-4, 242, Missouri State
KR - Jimmie Robinson, senior, 5-8, 162, Bethune-Cookman
KR - Juwan Petit-Frere, senior, 5-9, 180, Southeastern Louisiana
PR - Chris Rowland, senior, 5-8, 170, Tennessee State
ATH - Caylin Newton, junior, 6-0, 195, Howard