GREENVILLE, S.C. — Furman defensive end Joshua Stoneking has been named to the 2026 Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America Team, it was announced today.

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Stoneking, a 2025 consensus first team All-American and runner-up in last season's Buck Buchanan Award balloting as the top defensive player in the FCS, is coming off a sophomore campaign that saw him register FCS highs in sacks (14.5), tackles for loss (23.0), and tackle yards for loss (132).  In addition to his team leading 79 tackles, he also tallied nine quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles, two pass breakups, and one blocked kick.

His 14.5 sacks, which tied for the fourth most in Furman history, accounted for 56 percent of the squad's 26 total sacks, and his 23 tackles for loss represented 33.3 percent of the Paladins' tackles behind the line of scrimmage a year ago.

In addition to landing a Furman record and Southern Conference best seven first team All-America citations in 2025, the 6-foot-3, 258-pound Raleigh, N.C., product was selected by the Division I Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association (FCS ADA) as its 2025 Defensive Player of the Year, making him the third Paladin to land national player of the year honors, joining linebacker Jeff Blankenship, who was named 1988 Football News NCAA I-AA National Defensive Player of the Year, and running back Louis Ivory, who collected the 2000 Walter Payton Award.

The Raleigh, N.C., product was named SoCon Defensive Player of the Week a league best three times a year ago and was accorded first team all-conference honors in voting by league head coaches.