GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Eight Furman Paladins have been accorded All-Southern Conference football honors, the league announced today with the release of the 2020-21 coaches and media all-conference teams.

Three Paladins — offensive tackle Anderson Tomlin, tight end Ryan Miller, and cornerback Darius Kearse — led the way by earning first team accolades.  Securing second team laurels were tailback Devin Wynn, nose guard Cameron Coleman, and punter Timmy Bleekrode.  In addition, two Paladins, offensive guard Jacob Johanning and linebacker Nicky Kuzemka, landed spots on the SoCon All-Freshman Team.

Tomlin, a 6-5, 292-pound redshirt sophomore from Birmingham, Ala., registered five starts and 361 plays at left tackle this spring before a hand injury ended his campaign.

A 6-2, 221-pound redshirt junior from Jackson, Tenn., Miller caught 15 passes for 254 yards and a team leading six touchdowns, which is five more scores than the two other all-conference tight end honorees combined for on the season.  Miller's 73-yard fourth quarter touchdown reception helped key the Paladins' comeback, 44-37 overtime victory over Samford.

Kearse, a 5-10, 181-pound senior from Enterprise, Ala., recorded 31 tackles and a team leading three interceptions for the Paladins, who finished second in the SoCon in scoring defense (20.4 ppg).

Wynn, a consensus 2019 first team All-SoCon selection, rushed for 511 yards and five touchdowns in 2021, topping the 100-yard mark in three contests.  The 6-foot, 216-pound Greensboro, Ga., senior became the 13th player in Furman history to top 2,000 career rushing yards and finished the campaign ranked ninth in career rushing (2,469 yards).

In his first full season as a starter, Coleman, a 6-3, 310-pound native of Elizabethton, Tenn., made five starts and totaled 13 tackles, including 1.5 for-loss.

Bleekrode was a consensus second team All-SoCon pick on both coaches and media teams.  The Atlanta, Ga., product and redshirt sophomore averaged 43.6 yards per punt, a full two yards per punt better than first team all-conference selection Matt Campbell from The Citadel.

Johanning, from nearby Simpsonville, S.C., earned starts six of the Paladins' seven games this year and totaled 408 snaps. 

Kuzemka, from Clifton, Va., who came to Furman as a walk-on, captured a starting job in the preseason and proceeded to lead the Paladins with 49 tackles and an interception.

2020-21 Coaches All-Southern Conference Football Team

Offensive Player of the Year – Liam Welch, Gr., QB, Samford
Offensive Player of the Year – Jakob Herres, Jr., WR, VMI
Defensive Player of the Year ¬– Jared Folks, Gr., ETSU
Defensive Player of the Year ¬– Stone Snyder, So., VMI
Freshman of the Year – Seth Morgan, QB, VMI
Jacobs Blocking Award – Tre'mond Shorts, R-Jr., OL, ETSU
Jacob Blocking Award – Cole Strange, Sr., OL, Chattanooga
Coach of the Year – Scott Wachenheim, VMI

First Team Offense
QB    Liam Welch, Gr., Samford
RB    Quay Holmes, R-Jr., ETSU
RB    Donnavan Spencer, R-Sr., Western Carolina
OL    Tre'mond Shorts, R-Jr., ETSU
OL    Anderson Tomlin, R-So., Furman
OL    McClendon Curtis, Jr., Chattanooga
OL    Marshall Gill, Jr., VMI
OL    Isaiah Helms, So., Western Carolina
TE    Nate Adkins, Jr., ETSU
WR    Ty King, So., Samford
WR    Jakob Herres, Jr., VMI

First Team Defense
DL    Armond Lloyd, Gr., Samford
DL    Devonnsha Maxwell, Jr., Chattanooga
DL    Jordan Ward, Sr., VMI
DL    Michael Mason, So., Wofford
LB    Jared Folks, Gr., ETSU
LB    Willie Eubanks III, Sr., The Citadel
LB    Donovan Manuel, R-So., ETSU
DB    Tyree Robinson, Sr., ETSU
DB    Lance Wise, So., Mercer
DB    Chris Edmonds, So., Samford
DB    AJ Smith, Sr., VMI

First Team Special Teams
PK    Mitchell Fineran, Jr., Samford
P    Matt Campbell, Jr., The Citadel
RS    Montrell Washington, Sr., Samford

Second Team Offense
QB    Reece Udinski, Sr., VMI
RB    Devin Wynn, Sr., Furman
RB    Deondre Johnson, R-So., Mercer
OL    Haden Haas, R-Jr., The Citadel
OL    Gavin Orr, Jr., Samford
OL    Mike Williams, Sr., Samford
OL    Cole Strange, Sr., Chattanooga
OL    Nick Hartnett, R-So., VMI
TE    Ryan Miller, Jr., Furman
WR    Montrell Washington, Sr., Samford
WR    Reginal Henderson, Sr., Chattanooga

Second Team Defense
DL    Cameron Coleman, R-So., Furman
DL    DJ McDaniel, Jr., Mercer
DL    Solomon Zubairu, So., Mercer
DL    Nelson Jordan, Jr., Samford
DL    Jay Person, So., Chattanooga
LB    Isaac Dowling, Fr., Mercer
LB    Nathan East, Gr., Samford
LB    Ty Boeck, Jr., Chattanooga
LB    Stone Snyder, So., VMI
DB    Parrish Gordon, Gr., The Citadel
DB    Yahsyn McKee, So., Mercer
DB    Ethan Caselberry, Jr., VMI
DB    Tahir Annoor, So., Wofford

Second Team Special Teams
PK    Tyler Keltner, So., ETSU
P    Timmy Bleekrode, R-So., Furman
P    Caleb Dowden, R-So., Mercer
RS    Quay Holmes, R-Jr., ETSU

Coaches All-Freshman Offense
Ben Brockington, The Citadel
Nathan Storch, The Citadel
Fred Norman Jr., ETSU
Noah West, ETSU
Jacob Johanning, Furman
Ethan Dirrim, Mercer
Ty James, Mercer
Carter Peevy, Mercer
Cooper Frazier, Samford
Seth Morgan, VMI
Irvin Mulligan, Wofford    

Coaches All-Freshman Defense
Carson Hatchett, The Citadel
Di'Andre Davis, ETSU
Max Evans, ETSU
Alijah Huzzie, ETSU
Nick Kuzemka, Furman
Isaac Dowling, Mercer
Noah Martin, Samford
John Prince, Chattanooga
Quay Wiggles, Chattanooga
Alex Oliver, VMI
Dorian Davis, Western Carolina
Jaquarius Guinn, Western Carolina

Coaches All-Freshman Special Teams
Chance Knox, VMI
Jerry Rice, VMI
Paxton Robertson, Western Carolina

2020-21 SCSMA All-Southern Conference Football Team

Roy M. "Legs" Hawley Offensive Player of the Year – Jakob Herres, Jr., WR, VMI
Defensive Player of the Year ¬ Stone Snyder, So., LB, VMI
Freshman of the Year – Carter Peevy, QB, Mercer
Wallace Wade Coach of the Year – Scott Wachenheim, VMI

First Team Offense
QB    Liam Welch, Gr., Samford
RB    Quay Holmes, R-Jr., ETSU
RB    Donnavan Spencer, R-Sr., Western Carolina
OL    Haden Haas, R-Jr., The Citadel
OL    Tre'mond Shorts, R-Jr., ETSU
OL    Mike Williams, Sr., Samford
OL    Marshall Gill, Jr., VMI
OL    Nick Hartnett, R-So., VMI
TE    Ryan Miller, Jr., Furman
WR    Ty King, So., Samford
WR    Jakob Herres, Jr., VMI

First Team Defense
DL    Dalton Owens, R-Jr., The Citadel
DL    Solomon Zubairu, So., Mercer
DL    Devonnsha Maxwell, Jr., Chattanooga
DL    Michael Mason, So., Wofford
LB    Anthony Britton Jr., So., The Citadel
LB    Isaac Dowling, Fr., Mercer
LB    Stone Snyder, So., VMI
DB    Tyree Robinson, Sr., ETSU
DB    Darius Kearse, Sr., Furman
DB    Lance Wise, So., Mercer
DB    Chris Edmonds, So., Samford

First Team Special Teams
PK    Mitchell Fineran, Jr., Samford
P    Matt Campbell, Jr., The Citadel
RS    Montrell Washington, Sr., Samford

Second Team Offense
QB    Reece Udinski, Sr., VMI
RB    Devin Wynn, Sr., Furman
RB    Deondre Johnson, R-So., Mercer
OL    Anderson Tomlin, R-So., Furman
OL    John Harris, R-So., Mercer
OL    Gavin Orr, Jr., Samford
OL    Cole Strange, Sr., Chattanooga
OL    Isaiah Helms, So., Western Carolina
TE    Michael Vice, So., Samford
WR    A.J. Toney, So., Samford
WR    Montrell Washington, Sr., Samford

Second Team Defense
DL    Carson Hatchett, Fr., The Citadel
DL    Nelson Jordan, Jr., Samford
DL    Armond Lloyd, Gr., Samford
DL    Jay Person, So., Chattanooga
DL    Jordan Ward, Sr., VMI
LB    Jared Folks, Gr., ETSU
LB    Connor Riddle, R-Sr., VMI
LB    Ty Harris, Sr., Western Carolina
DB    Alijah Huzzie, R-Fr., ETSU
DB    AJ Smith, Sr., VMI
DB    Ethan Caselberry, Jr., VMI
DB    Ronald Kent Jr., Jr., Western Carolina

Second Team Special Teams
PK    Tyler Keltner, So., ETSU
P    Timmy Bleekrode, R-So., Furman
RS    Quay Holmes, R-Jr., ETSU