GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Seven Furman Paladins have earned All-Southern Conference honors, it was announced today with the release of its 2025 football all-conference squad, as selected by vote of league head coaches.

Three Paladins garnered first team accolades, two were named second team, and three collected All-Freshman Team laurels.

Furman's first team honorees include offensive guard Luke Petit, tight end Joshua Burrell, and defensive end Joshua Stoneking.

Petit, a 6-foot-3, 285-pound senior from Akron, Ohio, logged starts in all 12 games and 767 plays this fall.  The first team selection followed last year's second team pick.  He completed the 2025 campaign with a string of 23 consecutive starts and 29 for his career.

Burrell bounced back from an early season injury in 2024 to catch 36 passes for 290 yards and two touchdowns this year. The 6-foot-2, 223 pound graduate student from Blythewood, S.C., earned starts in all 12 games this fall and registered receptions in 11 contests.

Stoneking put together one of the most impressive seasons of any defensive lineman in the FCS in 2025, leading the nation in tackles for loss (23) and sacks (14.5).  The 6-foot-3, 264-pound redshirt sophomore from Raleigh, N.C.,  captured SoCon Defensive Player of the Week honors three times this season.  On Tuesday he was named a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, which is presented annually by Stats Perform to the top defensive player in the FCS.

Wide receiver Evan James and placekicker Ian Williams represented the Paladins on the second team

James, at 5-foot-10,170-pound performer from Apopka, Fla., fashioned a record setting 2025 campaign with 65 receptions for 796 yards and seven touchdowns — all new Paladin freshman standards and despite missing three games due to injury.  He was named Stats Perform National Freshman of the Week after catching 10 passes for a Furman freshman record 134 yards and a game winning 30-yard touchdown grab in a 28-24 win over Campbell.  James, who also garnered a spot on the league's All-Freshman Team, is a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award, which is presented annually by Stats Perform to the top freshman in the FCS.

Williams fashioned an excellent senior campaign as perhaps the top three-way specialist in the FCS.  Recognized as a placekicker by the SoCon, he converted 13-of-21 field goal attempts, including a season long 51 yarder in a 32-14 win over VMI, and all 28 PATs attempts to finish with a team leading 67 points.  He also recorded a SoCon best 46 touchbacks on 59 kickoffs and averaged 45.0 yards on 59 punts.  A Charlotte, N.C., product, Williams was twice named SoCon Special Teams Player of the Week and collected Stats Perform National Player of the Week accolates for his work in Furman's season opening 23-21 triumph over William & Mary. He  completed his tenure ranked fifth on Furman's career kick scoring chart and 10th in overall scoring with 238 points.

Joining Evans James on the SoCon All -Freshman Team were defensive tackle Demetrius Baldwin and return specialist Caleb Easterling.

Baldwin, a 6-foot-1, 278-pound product of Waycross, Ga., earned starts in all 11 games and was credited with 30 tackles, including 3.5 for loss, a sack, and a forced fumble.

Easterling, a Richmond Hill, Ga., native who saw action in only four games to preserve his redshirt season, averaged 38.6 yards on eight kickoff returns, which included a 100-yard return versus Mercer.  In his final game, he posted a 76-yard kickoff return against Chattanooga.

2025 Coaches All-Southern Conference Football Team
 
Roy M. "Legs" Hawley Offensive Player of the Year – Taron Dickens, QB, R-So., Western Carolina
Defensive Player of the Year – Andrew Zock, So., DL, Mercer
Freshman of the Year – Braden Atkinson, QB, Mercer
Jacobs Blocking Award – Mike Bartilucci, OL, The Citadel
Wallace Wade Coach of the Year – Mike Jacobs, Mercer
 
First Team Offense
QB       Taron Dickens, Western Carolina
RB       Devontae Houston, ETSU 
RB       CJ Miller, Mercer
OL        Mike Bartilucci, The Citadel
OL        Ashton Flinn, ETSU
OL        Seth Williams, ETSU
OL        Luke Petit, Furman
OL        Xavier Jennings, Mercer
TE        Josh Burrell, Furman
WR      Adjatay Dabbs, Mercer
WR      James Tyre, Western Carolina
 
First team defense
DL        Joshua Stoneking, Furman
DL        Andrew Zock, Mercer
DL        Donovan Grayson, Samford
DL        Brandon Maina, Wofford
LB        Ty Anderson, ETSU
LB        Drew Clare., Mercer
LB        Jaden Mosley, Samford
DB       William Wells, ETSU
DB       Kaleb Hutchinson, Mercer
DB       Ken Moore, Jr., Western Carolina
DB       Maximus Pulley, Wofford
 
First Team Special Teams
PK        Reice Griffith, Mercer
P          Ben Shrewsbury, VMI
LS        Nathan Payne, VMI
RS       Dominic Dutton, Western Carolina
 
Second Team Offense
QB       Braden Atkinson, Mercer
RB       Ryan Ingram, Chattanooga
RB       Ihson Jackson-Anderson, Wofford
OL        Jamari Freeman, Mercer
OL        Tyler Murray, Mercer
OL        Amarii Atchison, Mercer
OL        Ryan Merklinger, Chattanooga
OL        Zack Watson, Western Carolina
OL        Quincy Hughes, Wofford
TE        Josiah Thomas, Western Carolina
WR      Evan James, Furman
WR      Owen Sweeney, VMI
WR      Malik Knight, Western Carolina
 
Second Team Defense
DL        Chris Benton, The Citadel
DL        Chris Davis, ETSU
DL        Jordan Swain, Mercer
DL        Conroy Cunningham, Samford
LB        Mikey Rosa, The Citadel
LB        Zion Rutledge, Chattanooga
LB        Stephen Dean III, VMI
DB       Cale Williams, The Citadel
DB       Mike Jenkins, ETSU
DB       Kam Baah-Slay, Chattanooga
DB       Eli Campbell, Wofford
DB       Darius Malcolm, Jr., Wofford
 
Second Team Special Teams
PK        Ian Williams, Furman
P          James Platte, The Citadel
LS        Alex Applefield, Samford
RS       Brayden Smith, Mercer
 
All-Freshman Offense
Brady Pickett, The Citadel
Cobey Thompkins, The Citadel
Jeremiah Harrison, ETSU
Cole Norred, ETSU
Braden Atkinson, Mercer
Evan James, Furman
Ty Doughty, Mercer
Gavin Marks, Mercer
Owen Sweeney, VMI
Josiah Thomas, Western Carolina
Markel Townsend, Western Carolina
 
All-Freshman Defense
Sayre Smothers, The Citadel
Demetrius Baldwin, Furman
Kobe McInnis, Mercer
KJ Thomas, Mercer
Trey Lenhardt, Samford
Kamari Todd, Chattanooga
KJ Sejour, Chattanooga
Donovan Burnett, VMI
Derek Hite, VMI
Darius Malcolm Jr., Wofford
Wyatt Ward, Wofford
 
All-Freshman Special Teams
Caleb Easterling, Furman
Jake Garner, Samford
Marcus Trout, Western Carolina
Cavan Craig, Wofford