Furman has been reconstructing diligently its last lines of defense, the secondary.

The cornerback and safety positions sustained significant losses in experience and production following a 10-3, Southern Conference championship season.

Seven lettermen in the group, including all four regulars and two others with starting experience, took off their uniforms for the last time following Furman’s 35-28 overtime loss to Montana in the FCS playoff quarterfinals.  

The Paladin secondary, minus the spur position, said goodbye to 140 starts and 29 interceptions. Among the departures were All-American cornerback Travis Blackshear and All-SoCon safety Hugh Ryan, who played a significant role in Furman ranking among the very best in the FCS with 56 takeaways over the past two years.

Head coach Clay Hendrix is high on a host of young players to fill the void at cornerback.

“We have a relatively young, talented group, and our plan is to play a number of guys,” he said.

The five principals in the cornerback corps appear to be Jaylan Moson (5-11, 173, R-Fr.), Charles Ingram V (5-11, 183, R-So.), Hysan Dalton (6-2, 190, R-Fr.), Mo Perkins (5-10, 172, Gr.), and Jalen Gummer (6-1, 182, R-So.).

“Jaylan probably could have played for us a year ago, but we were able to redshirt him.  He’s had a really good camp and headlines the group.

“I’d say Charles right now probably has the edge at the other cornerback spot.  He’s in his third year in our program and has come back in solid shape following surgery in the spring. 

“Hysan is another one who could have played last year.  He’s a big-bodied cornerback who runs well, and Mo Perkins, a grad transfer (from NCAA Division II Midwestern State) can play corner and also the nickel position.

“Jalen has played safety and cornerback, but he’s at corner now and is part of the mix,” Hendrix said.

Additional competition and special-teams contributions are expected from Brayden Holmes (6-1, 189, R-Fr.), and possibly D.J. Lawrence (6-0, 187, R-Fr.), though injuries may keep Lawrence on the sideline for the near term.

The Paladins’ 2024 recruiting class included three high-school products: Darren Coleman (5-9, 173), Javaris Jones (5-11, 186),and Jordan Miller (5-11, 170).

 The cornerbacks group also includes walk-on Elijah Crocker (5-10, 175, Fr.).

The outlook at the safety positions mirrors that of cornerback as the Paladins are replacing veteran performers with new faces.

“It’s a good group, and we have some depth there,” said Hendrix.

At strong safety the leader is Caleb Williams (5-10, 190, Jr.), who has seen action in 24 games in his first two seasons as a Paladin. A year ago, he made his career starting debut in a 27-21 road win over Samford that helped propel the Paladins on an impressive stretch run on the way to the SoCon title.  He also blocked a punt in a 37-3 triumph over VMI.

A.K. Burrell (6-0, 208, So.) appears to be the likely starter at either free safety or possibly at the spur/nickel position after logging action in all 13 games and landing SoCon All-Freshman Team honors last season. 

“The safeties group starts with Caleb and A.K. — two of the few true freshmen we’ve had who have played the last two years. They have similar skill sets — they are physical, run well, and are really smart — and have been very productive special teams guys,” Hendrix stated.

Should Burrell get the nod at spur/nickel, look for Tre’ McLeod (6-2, 184, R-So.) to start at free safety.

“Tre’ has battled some injuries his first two years but is healthy now and has had a productive August.  We feel good about him.”

Listed as McLeod’s backup is Jalen Tate (6-1, 198, Gr.), a graduate transfer from Georgia State and product of nearby Greenville High School.  He saw action in 37 games at GSU.

Billy Lewis (6-0, 180, R-Fr.) has moved into the picture as the backup at strong safety.

Hendrix said, “Billy has had a really good August.  We think he can help us back there.  He’s really bright and seems to make a lot of plays.

D.J. Durham, Jr., (6-1, 210, R-Jr.) and Jakeman Pendleton (5-11, 174, R-So.) will contend for reserve duty while also contributing on special teams.

Another player who will add depth is Max Eubanks (5-11, 194, Fr.), an IMG post-graduate product who joined the program in January.

The Paladins signed one safety in last year’s class, Den Johnson (5-10, 170, Fr.).

“Den has shown us he can be a really good player.  How quickly he develops, we’ll have to see.”

Vinny Jordan (5-11, 200, R-Fr.) suffered a knee injury in spring practice and will not be able to play this fall, according to Hendrix.

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