GREENVILLE, S.C. — Furman has been picked second in a poll of Southern Conference head football coaches, and eight Paladins have earned preseason all-conference accolades, it was announced today at the league's annual football media day at Greenville's Hotel Hartness. 

Furman, the defending SoCon champion, collected 56 points and three first place votes to finish second in the poll behind Chattanooga, which garnered 61 points and five first place votes. The Paladins defeated Chattanooga twice last season, posting a 17-14 title clinching road victory on Nov. 4 and a 26-7 triumph over the Mocs in second round FCS playoff action in Greenville.

Western Carolina, the recipient of the remaining first place vote, is third in the poll with 49 points, followed by fourth place Mercer (45 points) and fifth place Samford (37 points).  East Tennessee State (26 points) is sixth, VMI (23) seventh, Wofford eighth (19), and The Citadel (8) rounds out the poll in ninth.

Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams or players.

The 2024 Paladins are set to welcome back 31 letterman and seven starters off last year's 10-3 squad that won eight consecutive games en route to the program's 15th SoCon championship and league's automatic bid to the FCS playoffs.  The Paladins earned a first round bye and defeated Chattanooga in the second round before falling at No. 2 seed Montana, 35-28 in overtime, in a quarterfinal clash.  Furman was ranked sixth in the AFCA final poll.

Furman is among only three FCS programs to post double-digit wins (20-6) the last two seasons, along with South Dakota State and North Dakota State.

Among the eight Paladins accorded preseason All-SoCon honors by the coaches are four first team selections — offensive guard Luke Petit, nose guard Xavier Stephens, placekicker Ian Williams, and return specialist Colton Hinton.  Named to the second team were wide receiver Joshua Harris, running back Grant Robinson, bandit Luke Clark, and linebacker Evan DiMaggio.

Petit, a 6-foot-3, 285-pound redshirt junior from Akron, Ohio, earned starts at offensive guard in the Paladins' first six games a year ago before sustaining a season ending injury.

Stephens fashioned an impressive 2023 campaign in his second season with the Paladins and first campaign as a starter. The 6-foot-3, 292-pound Roanoke, Va., product, logged 35 tackles, including 4.5 for-loss, and was a significant factor on a Furman defense that ranked among the best in FCS in a number of categories, including rushing defense (8th/96.9 ypg, 2.9 ypc) and scoring defense (11th/18.2 ppg)

Williams, a redshirt senior from Charlotte, N.C., is coming off a 2023 season that saw him rank among the most effective kickers in the FCS.  In addition to converting 18-of-24 field goals, including 14 of his last 15 attempts, and scoring a team leading 75 points, he delivered dominant work on kickoffs, registering a SoCon leading 54 touchbacks on 74 kicks.

Hailing from Ashburn, Va., Hinton delivered solid play as both a receiver (34 rec., 404 yds., TD) and as a return specialist (23.1 avg.) as a true freshman a year ago.  Included in his body of work was a 70-yard grab against Montana in FCS quarterfinal playoff action.

Harris, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound true senior, is poised to place his name among the Top 10 wide receivers in Furman history this fall. The Newnan, Ga., native and owner of 35 starts has 116 receptions and eight touchdown grabs in his career.

Robinson, 6-foot, 208-pound redshirt junior from Plano, Texas, will look to put last year's injury plagued season behind him that limited him to just four games.

Clark is Furman's lone returning All-SoCon performer, having landed first team honors from the media and second team laurels by the coaches in 2023.  The 6-foot-3, 253-pound Louisville, Ky., product, who has started the last 26 games, has registered 17.5 tackles for-loss and 12 sacks in his career, including a team high six quarterback takedowns a year ago.

DiMaggio will look to build on the outstanding play he showcased over the second of the 2023 campaign, when he started the final seven games, including a 10-tackle, two-sack performance that netted him SoCon Defensive Player of the Week honors in the Paladins' 29-17 road win over eighth-ranked Western Carolina.

The Paladins report for preseason camp on Tuesday July 30, and begin practice on Wednesday, July 31.

Furman kicks off its 2024 season on Saturday, August 31, at Ole Miss in a 7:00 p.m. ET contest. 

Click HERE for Furman's complete 2024 schedule.

Paladin fans can renew or purchase new season tickets online by clicking HERE, or by calling Dwight Covington or Houghton Flanagan, or by emailing Houghton.Flanagan@Furman.edu.

2024 Preseason Southern Conference Coaches Poll
Team (1st-place votes)              Total
1. Chattanooga (5)                        61
2. Furman (3)                                  56
3. Western Carolina (1)               49
4. Mercer                                          45
5. Samford                                       37
6. ETSU                                             26
7. VMI                                                23
8. Wofford                                        19
9. The Citadel                                 8

2024 Preseason All-Southern Conference Football Teams
Offensive Player of the Year: Cole Gonzales, Jr., QB, Western Carolina
Defensive Player of the Year: Marlon Taylor, Sr., DL, Chattanooga

First Team Offense
QB         Cole Gonzales, Jr., Western Carolina
RB          Hunter Rice., Sr., RB, VMI 
RB          Ryan Ingram, Sr., Wofford
OL          Luke Smith, Gr., ETSU
OL          Luke Petit, R-Jr., Furman
OL          Xavier Jennings, Gr., Mercer
OL          Reid Williams, Jr., Chattanooga
OL          Tyriq Poindexter, Sr., VMI
OL          Blake Whitmore, R-Sr., Western Carolina
TE          Jordan Davis, Sr., Wofford
WR        Javin Whatley, Jr., Chattanooga
WR        AJ Colombo, Jr., Western Carolina

First Team Defense
DL          Xavier Stephens, Sr., Furman
DL          Marlon Taylor, Sr., DL, Chattanooga
DL          Dorien Starnes, Sr., VMI
DL          Brandon Maina, Sr., Wofford
LB          Ken Standley, Gr., Mercer
LB          Noah Martin, Sr., Samford
LB          David Powers, Sr., Wofford
DB         Chris Hope, Sr., DB, ETSU 
DB         Myles Redding, Sr., Mercer
DB         Jordan Walker, Jr., Chattanooga
DB         Maximus Pulley, Jr., Wofford

First Team Specialists
PK          Ian Williams, R-Sr., Furman
P             Nate Brackett, R-Jr., ETSU 
LS          Colby Cross, R-Sr., Western Carolina
RS          Colton Hinton, So., Furman

Second Team Offense
QB         Chase Artopoeus, Sr., QB, Chattanooga
RB          Grant Robinson, R-Jr., Furman
RB          Branson Adams, Jr., Western Carolina
OL          Riley Adcock, Gr., Mercer
OL          Chris Noble, Gr., Samford
OL          Dave Monnot III, Sr., Chattanooga
OL          Derek Simmons, Sr., Western Carolina
OL          Anthony Garcia, Sr., Wofford
OL          Quincy Hughes, Jr., Wofford
TE          Jay Gibson, Sr., Chattanooga
WR        Joshua Harris, Jr., Furman
WR        Sam Phillips, Jr., Chattanooga

Second Team Defense
DL          Brayden Manley, So., Mercer 
DL          Jordan Swain, Gr., Mercer
DL          Quay Wiggles, Sr., Chattanooga
DL          Curtis Fann Jr., R-Sr., Western Carolina
LB          Luke Clark, 5th, Furman
LB          Evan DiMaggio, R-Sr., Furman
LB          Eric Rankin, Sr., VMI 
DB         Josh Battle, Jr., Sr., Chattanooga
DB         Samaurie Dukes, Jr., Western Carolina
DB         Ed Jones IV, Sr., Western Carolina
DB         CJ Williams, Sr., DB, Western Carolina

Second Team Specialists
PK          Bridger Jones, Jr., Wofford
P             James Platte, Jr., The Citadel 
LS          Tommy DiLiegro, So., Wofford
RS          Ivan Thorpe, Jr., WR, VMI