GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Eight members of Furman's football team have earned 2023 Division I Academic All-District honors, as selected by College Sports Communicators (CSC), it was announced today.
The team includes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom.
The eight Paladins earning recognition include offensive guard
Jacob Johanning, safety
Hugh Ryan, long snapper
Julian Ashby, center
Wyatt Hughes, wide receiver
Nick Cannon, defensive tackle
Bryce Stanfield, and linebackers
Evan DiMaggio and
Nicky Kuzemka.
Three Paladins — Johanning, Ryan, and Ashby — will advance to the national ballot to be voted on by CSC members. First, second, and third-team Academic All-America honorees will be announced on Jan. 23, 2024. Furman football has produced 15 Academic All-Americans — tops among all Southern Conference schools.
Johanning, a redshirt senior from Simpsonville, S.C., and two-time All-America selection, collected the SoCon's Jacobs Blocking Award in 2023 after helping lead Furman to the league championship and 10-3 season. A team co-captain this fall and 2024 Hula Bowl invitee, he secured his degree in business administration this month with a 3.53 grade point average.
Ryan, a two-time All-SoCon selection from Irmo, S.C. and team co-captain, racked up 82 tackles on a Furman defense that led the SoCon and ranked among the best in the FCS this fall. He finished his 57-game Paladin career with 263 tackles and nine interceptions. The redshirt senior business administration major graduated this month with a 3.55 grade point average.
Ashby, who graduated this month with a 3.97 grade point average in physics, served as Furman's long snapper for four years, working with a pair of All-SoCon punters and kicker during his tenure. The Lilburn, Ga., product and two-time SoCon Student-Athlete of the Week pick was a finalist for the 2023 Doris Robinson Award and earned Phil Steele All-America honors this season.
Hughes, a Chattanooga, Tenn., native who made the switch from offensive guard to center this year, earned starts in all 13 games to run his career total to 29 and nearly 2,000 plays. A December graduate with a 3.55 GPA in business administration, he earned second team All-SoCon honors this fall.
Cannnon caught a pair of touchdown passes and was a key contributor on special teams for the Paladins this fall. The Roswell, Ga., product, also secured his degree in business administration this month with a 3.75 GPA.
Stanfield, a junior, delivered outstanding play on Furman's highly productive defensive front in 2023, totaling 13 tackles, including four for-loss and 2.5 sacks. An Acworth, Ga., native, he boasts a 3.84 GPA in health sciences.
DiMaggio delivered outstanding play for the Paladins after moving into the starting lineup at mid-season. A product of Buford, Ga., the Paladin junior was credited with 79 tackles, including a team high 11.5 for-loss and five sacks in 2023. He was named SoCon Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in the Paladins' 29-17 win over Western Carolina.
Kuzemka saw action in 46 games, registered 17 starts, and was credited with 110 tackles during his Paladin career. The December 2023 graduate from Clifton, Va., finished with a 3.64 GPA in communications.
