GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Twelve Furman Paladins have been accorded 2021 All-Southern Conference honors, the league announced today with the release of the coaches and media all-conference football squads.

Seven Paladins were named either to the league's first or second team, and five newcomers garnered spots on the SoCon All-Freshman Team.

Leading the way were a pair of first team selections, redshirt junior offensive tackle Anderson Tomlin and junior tight end Ryan Miller. Second team honorees include sophomore tackle Pearson Toomey, senior defensive linemen Adrian Hope and Parker Stokes, junior cornerback Travis Blackshear, and redshirt sophomore punter Timmy Bleekrode.

Furman's five SoCon All-Freshman Team selections easily topped the league and included wide receiver Joshua Harris, quarterback Jace Wilson, offensive tackle Dylan Davis, cornerback Dominic Morris, and defensive lineman Bryce Stanfield.

Tomlin, from Birminigham, Ala., and a two-time All-SoCon pick, earned starts in all 11 games and logged 688 plays while helping spearhead a much improved Paladin rushing attack over the second half of the season.

Miller, an All-America choice following the spring season, backed up the recognition with a superb fall campaign, catching a team leading 43 passes for 749 yards and seven touchdowns. The Jackson, Tenn., native averaged a league best 17.4 yards per catch, topped by an 87-yard scoring grab in the Paladins' 29-18, season opening win over North Carolina A&T.

Toomey, from Jacksonville Beach, Fla., started in the Paladins' first nine games and totaled 577 play participations before sustaining a season ending injury late in Western Carolina game on Nov. 6

Hope, an Ocala, Fla., native who earned up his third all-conference scroll, was credited with 44 tackles and two sacks this fall. He finished his Paladin career with 25.5 sacks, good for third all-time in program history.

Stokes, a native of Wrens, Ga., played in 52 games as a Paladin, and this year totaled 26 tackles and a team leading six sacks, three of which came against eventual conference champion East Tennessee State.

Furman's team leader with seven takeaways in 2021, Blackshear, a native of Savannah, Ga., registered 52 tackles, and his five interceptions for 52 yards tied for the league lead and represented the most by a Paladin defensive back since Cam Newton picked off six in 2002.

Bleekrode, from Atlanta, Ga., repeated as a second team All-SoCon pick as a punter after averaging 42.2 yards on 52 punts, including 11 that covered at least 50 yards.  He also converted 15-of-18 field goals for the Paladins this fall.

Newnan, Ga., native Joshua Harris earned starts in nine of Furman's 11 games and recorded 26 receptions for 295 yards and a touchdown in his first season as a Paladin.

Joining Harris on the SoCon All-Freshman squad was Wilson, a Missouri City, Texas, product, who emerged at mid-season and went on to earn starts in six games and complete 63-of-122 passes for 1,020 yards and six touchdowns while rushing for 101 yards and two scores.  Offensive tackle Dylan Davis, from Bradenton, Fla., rounded out the freshman offense honorees after appearing in all 11 games, logging 194 snaps, and registering starts in Furman's final two games — wins over VMI (37-31) and Samford (41-34).

Furman's two freshman team defenders include Spring, Texas, cornerback Dominic Morris, who played in seven games and made a pair of late season starts on the way to finishing with 12 tackles and an interception, and lineman Bryce Stanfield, from Acworth, Ga., who registered 19 tackles and three sacks prior to being sidelined eight games into the season with a foot injury.

Furman captured its last two games to finish the campaign with a 6-5 overall record and 4-4 league mark.

2021 Coaches All-Southern Conference Football Team 

Offensive Player of the Year – Quay Holmes, R-Jr., RB, ETSU
Defensive Player of the Year – Devonnsha Maxwell, Jr., DL, Chattanooga
Freshman of the Year – Andreas Keaton, DB, Western Carolina 
Jacobs Blocking Award – Cole Strange, Sr., OL, Chattanooga 
Coach of the Year – Randy Sanders, ETSU

First Team Offense
QB    Liam Welch, Gr., Samford
RB    Quay Holmes, R-Jr., ETSU
RB    Ailym Ford, So., Chattanooga 
OL    Tre'mond Shorts, R-Jr., ETSU 
OL    Anderson Tomlin, R-Jr., Furman 
OL    Jason Poe, Gr., Mercer 
OL    McClendon Curtis, Jr., Chattanooga 
OL    Cole Strange, Sr., Chattanooga 
TE    Ryan Miller, Jr., Furman 
WR    Montrell Washington, Sr., Samford 
WR    Raphael Williams, R-Fr., Western Carolina

First Team Defense
DL    Solomon Zubairu, So., Mercer 
DL    Ben Brewton, So., Chattanooga 
DL    Devonnsha Maxwell, Jr., Chattanooga 
DL    Warren Dabney, Sr., VMI 
LB    Jared Folks, Gr., ETSU 
LB    Donovan Manuel, R-So., ETSU 
LB    Stone Snyder, Jr., VMI 
DB    Tyree Robinson, Sr., ETSU 
DB    Lance Wise, So., Mercer 
DB    Brandon Dowdell, Sr., Chattanooga 
DB    Jerrell Lawson, Sr., Chattanooga

First Team Special Teams
PK    Jerry Rice, R-So., VMI
P    Matt Campbell, Jr., The Citadel
LS    Robert Soderholm, Sr., VMI
RS    Montrell Washington, Sr., Samford 

Second Team Offense
QB    Rogan Wells, Gr., Western Carolina 
RB    Jacob Saylors, Jr., ETSU
RB    Irvin Mulligan, Jr., Wofford 
OL    Tavon Matthews, So., ETSU 
OL    Pearson Toomey, So., Furman 
OL    Gavin Orr, Sr., Samford 
OL    Nick Hartnett, R-Jr., VMI 
OL    Zak Kurz, Sr., Wofford 
TE    Nate Adkins, Jr., ETSU 
WR    Jakob Herres, Sr., VMI 
WR    Michael Jackson, Sr., VMI 
 
Second Team Defense
DL    Adrian Hope, Sr., Furman 
DL    Parker Stokes, Sr., Furman 
DL    Chris Hill, Fr., Mercer
DL    Seth Simmer, Gr., Samford 
LB    Willie Eubanks III, Sr., The Citadel 
LB    Ty Boeck, Jr., Chattanooga 
LB    Jay Person, So., Chattanooga
DB    Destin Mack, Jr., The Citadel
DB    Mike Price, R-So., ETSU 
DB    Travis Blackshear, Jr., Furman
DB    Rashun Freeman, Sr., Chattanooga
DB    Ethan Caselberry, Sr., VMI 
DB    Aljareek Malry, Jr., VMI

Second Team Special Teams
PK    Tyler Keltner, So., ETSU
P    Timmy Bleekrode, R-So., Furman 
P    Jack Culbreath, So., VMI
LS    Steele Judy, R-Fr., The Citadel
RS    Jacob Saylors, Jr., ETSU 

All-Freshman Offense 
Tyler Cherry, The Citadel    
Joshua Harris, Furman
Jace Wilson, Furman    
Dylan Davis, Furman
Jabari Brooks, Samford
KeShawn Toney, Chattanooga
Hunter Rice, VMI

All-Freshman Defense 
Dominick Poole, The Citadel
Zion Alexander, ETSU
Dominic Morris, Furman
Bryce Stanfield, Furman
Savio Frazier, Mercer
Reuben Lowery III, Chattanooga
Kandler Martin, VMI
Andreas Keaton, Western Carolina
Amir Annoor, Wofford
Brandon Maina, Wofford
Chuck Smith, Wofford

All-Freshman Special Teams 
Trey Turk, Mercer

2021 SCSMA All-Southern Conference Football Team 

Roy M. "Legs" Hawley Offensive Player of the Year – Quay Holmes, R-Jr., RB, ETSU
Defensive Player of the Year – Devonnsha Maxwell, Jr., DL, Chattanooga
Defensive Player of the Year – Stone Snyder, Jr., LB, VMI
Freshman of the Year – Dominick Poole, DB, The Citadel 
Wallace Wade Coach of the Year – Randy Sanders, ETSU

First Team Offense
QB    Liam Welch, Gr., Samford
RB    Quay Holmes, R-Jr., ETSU
RB    Jacob Saylors, Jr., ETSU
RB    Ailym Ford, So., Chattanooga 
OL    Tre'mond Shorts, R-Jr., ETSU 
OL    Jason Poe, Gr., Mercer 
OL    McClendon Curtis, Jr., Chattanooga 
OL    Cole Strange, Sr., Chattanooga 
OL    Nick Hartnett, R-Jr., VMI 
TE    Ryan Miller, Jr., Furman 
WR    Montrell Washington, Sr., Samford 
WR    Raphael Williams, R-Fr., Western Carolina

First Team Defense 
DL    Adrian Hope, Sr., Furman 
DL    Solomon Zubairu, So., Mercer 
DL    Devonnsha Maxwell, Jr., Chattanooga 
DL    Warren Dabney, Sr., VMI 
LB    Donovan Manuel, R-So., ETSU 
LB    Ty Boeck, Jr., Chattanooga 
LB    Stone Snyder, Jr., VMI 
DB    Tyree Robinson, Sr., ETSU 
DB    Lance Wise, So., Mercer 
DB    Brandon Dowdell, Sr., Chattanooga 
DB    Jerrell Lawson, Sr., Chattanooga

First Team Special Teams
PK    Tyler Keltner, So., ETSU
P    Jack Culbreath, So., VMI
LS    Chandlor Mullins, R-So., ETSU
RS    Montrell Washington, Sr., Samford 

Second Team Offense
QB    Rogan Wells, Gr., Western Carolina 
RB    Fred Davis, R-Fr., Mercer
RB    Irvin Mulligan, Jr., Wofford 
OL    Haden Haas, Gr., The Citadel 
OL    Tavon Matthews, So., ETSU 
OL    Anderson Tomlin, R-Jr., Furman 
OL    Pearson Toomey, So., Furman 
OL    Gavin Orr, Sr., Samford 
TE    Michael Vice, Jr., Samford 
WR    Jakob Herres, Sr., VMI 
WR    Michael Jackson, Sr., VMI 

Second Team Defense
DL    Parker Stokes, Sr., Furman 
DL    Seth Simmer, Gr., Samford 
DL    Ben Brewton, So., Chattanooga 
DL    Micheal Mason, Jr., Wofford
LB    Willie Eubanks III, Sr., The Citadel 
LB    Jared Folks, Gr., ETSU 
LB    Kareem Taylor, Gr., Western Carolina
DB    Destin Mack, Jr., The Citadel
DB    Alijah Huzzie, R-Fr., ETSU
DB    Travis Blackshear, Jr., Furman
DB    Ethan Caselberry, Sr., VMI
DB    Ronald Kent Jr., Jr., Western Carolina

Second Team Special Teams
PK    Jerry Rice, R-So., VMI
P    Matt Campbell, Jr., The Citadel
LS    Robert Soderholm, Sr., VMI
RS    Jacob Saylors, Jr., ETSU
RS    Calvin Jones, Fr., Western Carolina