28 July 2023
The Furman Paladins have been picked to win the Southern Conference this season based on voting compiled at that league’s Media Day in Greenville.
The Paladins collected 59 points and five first-place votes in the coaches’ poll and earned 345 points and 30 first-place votes from the media. The coaches poll listed Furman and Samford as co-favorites to win the league while the Paladins were the sole choice in the media’s preseason poll.
The Paladins have a league-best 15 selections on the preseason all-conference teams, including a league-best seven first-team picks. Furman safety and Dutch Fork graduate Hugh Ryan was a preseason First Team All-Southern Conference selection after being named First Team All-Conference after his junior season of 2022.
Furman is No. 5 in the HERO Sports FCS Preseason Top 25 and sixth in the Athlon Sports’ Preseason FCS Top 25.
2023 Preseason Southern Conference Coaches Poll
Team (1st-place votes) Total
T1. Samford (4) 593.
Western Carolina 356
VMI 10 2023 Preseason All-Southern Conference Football TeamsOffensive Player of the Year: Michael Hiers, Sr., QB, SamfordDefensive Player of the Year: Jay Person, Sr., DL, Chattanooga First team offenseQB Michael Hiers, Sr., SamfordRB Dominic Roberto, R-Sr., FurmanRB Ailym Ford, Sr., ChattanoogaOL Jacob Johanning, R-Sr., FurmanOL Pearson Toomey, R-Sr., FurmanOL John Thomas, Sr., MercerOL Jabari Brooks, Jr., SamfordOL Reid Williams, Jr., ChattanoogaOL Tyler Smith, R-Sr., Western CarolinaTE Ajay Belanger, Sr., Western CarolinaWR Devron Harper, Sr., MercerWR Ty James, R-Jr., MercerWR Chandler Smith, Sr., Samford First team defenseDL Solomon Zubairu, Sr., MercerDL Joseph Mera, Sr., SamfordDL Ben Brewton, Sr., ChattanoogaDL Jay Person, Sr., ChattanoogaDL Micah Nelson, Jr., Western CarolinaLB Braden Gilby, Gr., FurmanLB Isaac Dowling, Jr., MercerLB Noah Martin, Jr., SamfordDB Travis Blackshear, Gr., FurmanDB Hugh Ryan, R-Sr., FurmanDB Kourtlan Marsh, Jr., SamfordDB Kameron Brown, Sr., ChattanoogaDB Alex Oliver, Sr., VMIDB Andreas Keaton, Jr., Western Carolina First team specialistsPK Richard McCollum, R-Sr., Western CarolinaP Jack Culbreath, Sr., VMILS Julian Ashby, R-Jr., FurmanRS Devron Harper, Sr., Mercer Second team offenseQB Tyler Huff, Gr., FurmanRB Jay Stanton, Sr., SamfordRB Desmond Reid, So., Western CarolinaOL Israel Mukwiza, R-Jr., MercerOL Bryce Goodner, R-So., ChattanoogaOL Tyriq Poindexter, R-So., VMIOL Christian Coulter, Sr., Western CarolinaOL Jason Swann, Sr., WoffordTE Noah West, R-Jr., ETSUWR Will Huzzie, R-Sr., ETSUWR Joshua Harris, Jr., Furman Second team defenseDL Max Evans, R-Jr., ETSUDL Jack Barton, R-Sr., FurmanDL Sirod Cook, Gr., FurmanDL Matt Sochovka, Gr., FurmanDL Savio Frazier, Jr., MercerDL Marlon Taylor, R-Jr., ChattanoogaDL Chuck Smith, Sr., WoffordLB Ken Standley, R-Jr., MercerLB Evan Eller, Sr., VMILB Antoine Williams, R-Jr., Western CarolinaDB Sheldon Arnold II, Jr., ETSUDB Kam Brinson, R-Sr., FurmanDB Richie Coffey, Sr., MercerDB Myles Redding, Jr., MercerDB Lance Wise, Sr., MercerDB Reuben Lowery III, Jr., Chattanooga Second team specialistsPK Ian Williams, R-Jr., FurmanP Trace Kelley, R-So., ETSULS Ryan Phillips, So., ETSURS Wayne Anderson Jr., R-Sr., Furman NOTE: Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players or team. 2023 Preseason Southern Conference Media Poll
Team (1st-place votes) Total
1. Furman (30) 3452
2. Samford (8) 3163
5. Western Carolina 2186
7. The Citadel 1038