Transfers

[The Jackal]

Sam Herder's recent post names the second OL transfer.

He lists Tex Elliott of Colorado State as a transfer.
https://twitter.com/elliotttex

I read this bit and still can't get over the fact this dude was relegated to a backup at Presbyterian, arguably one of, if not the worst, programs in the FCS.

Tyler Huff leads the unit at quarterback. He is a 2023 graduate student who transferred to Furman last season after an All-Pioneer Football League career at Presbyterian. In 2022, Huff completed 68% of his passes for Furman (199/292) for 2,199 yards, 15 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He also ran for 694 yards (6.6 yards per carry) and eight TDs.

PC's hiring of Kevin Kelley may be the worst handling of a coaching hire in college football history.

[Purple rain]

And......we got Coach Tommy Spangler, one fantastic football coach...from PC. Their ADMIN blew the whole deal over there. GO FU!

[FUBeAR]

https://furmanpaladins.com/news/2023/6 ... hdR3ubqoA8
THREE TRANSFER OFFENSIVE LINEMEN JOIN PALADINS

We knew about 2 of these 3. Don’t think we knew about this one…

Kody Varn, a 6-foot-3, 275-pound graduate of Newberry College...

Varn has one season of eligibility remaining...

Varn saw action in 22 games over four seasons (2019-22) at Newberry, where he earned second team All-South Atlantic Conference honors in 2022 after helping the Wolves go 9-2 and repeat as SAC champions. The Clinton, S.C., product secured his undergraduate degree in sports management from Newberry in the spring of 2022 and recently added a master's in organizational development and leadership, also from Newberry.

Did we?

[Afurmanfan]

He is the player I mentioned in my post when I said from a small school nearby.

[FUBeAR]

He is the player I mentioned in my post when I said from a small school nearby.

Yeah - FUBeAR had heard about him thru other sources. He’s actually a Paladin ‘legacy’… by extension…

His Dad is Todd Varn, Newberry’s OC. Dad played for Coach Sheridan @ NC State and was a GA on their staff afterward. Believe he played at least one year for the Wolfpack when Coach Hendrix was a GA there.

Also, interesting is that it looks like he needed to enter the portal before last season - due to Newberry school/scholarship rules mumbo jumbo … and rec’d offers from William and Mary, The Citadel, Charleston Southern, Gardner Webb, Western Carolina, and Furman…but then Newberry figured out how to keep him on schollie/in an academic program … and he stayed.

[The Jackal]

https://furmanpaladins.com/news/2023/6 ... hdR3ubqoA8
THREE TRANSFER OFFENSIVE LINEMEN JOIN PALADINS

We knew about 2 of these 3. Don’t think we knew about this one…

Kody Varn, a 6-foot-3, 275-pound graduate of Newberry College...

Varn has one season of eligibility remaining...

Varn saw action in 22 games over four seasons (2019-22) at Newberry, where he earned second team All-South Atlantic Conference honors in 2022 after helping the Wolves go 9-2 and repeat as SAC champions. The Clinton, S.C., product secured his undergraduate degree in sports management from Newberry in the spring of 2022 and recently added a master's in organizational development and leadership, also from Newberry.

Did we?

Looks like Newberry is essentially a top 20 D2 team. He was their starting RT.

Maybe unsurprising, but the Wolves had a pretty robust run game.

[The Jackal]

It appears that the roster has been updated to reflect the transfers (maybe with exception of Varn), the ‘23 signees, and walk-ons.

Great job by the coaching staff building this roster. Depth and experience at every position. I think this will be the best team we’ve had in nearly 20 years.

[FUBeAR]

It appears that the roster has been updated to reflect the transfers (maybe with exception of Varn), the ‘23 signees, and walk-ons.

Great job by the coaching staff building this roster. Depth and experience at every position. I think this will be the best team we’ve had in nearly 20 years.

Varn was on the online roster at the time of the announcement, but removed shortly afterward.

Hearing things just might not have worked out. A lot of ‘moving parts’ for transfers to get in / fit in / settle in - particularly with the Grad Transfers - and all of the cogs on all the gears have to line up to make it happen.

[AllTimeFU]

Along the offensive line, this is my best guess:

Center: Johanning is a beast and looks to move from OG to C this fall. The only other players listed on the roster at C are Ryan Lamb and Luke Westerman. Last season, Lamb was listed as backup C.

It is probably worth at least mentioning that last season Wyatt Huges started one game at Center in Jumper's absence. Hard, though, not to expect the starting guy in the middle will be Johanning.

OG: Wyatt Hughes, I believe, has logged 17 starts and 26 games. He was RG last year and, I expect, would seem likely to man that role again this year.

The other OG (presumably, to take Johanning's spot) seems up in the air. The two OG backups last year were EJ Wilson, who logged limited time, and Blake Hundley, who appears to have moved to OT.

I would expect this spot would likely go to Gerrik Vollmer or newly-acquired Fred Norman.

OT: Pearson Toomey seems like a mortal lock to start at one of the tackle spots. Eli Brasher was listed at #2 on the depth chart, but played sparingly. Luke Petit is another guy that you may start seeing work in there as well.

I expect the other OT spot will be one of the transfers. Either Norman or one of the other yet-to-be-named transfer players.


At bottom, the offensive line returns everyone on the 2 deep but Tomlin. There's a ton of experience up front and a few guys that have been waiting in the wings ready to contribute.

We didn't have a ton of depth last season, but, fortunately, didn't really need to call on it. A lot of the backups were younger players and guys that could swing at different positions if needed. I think this year we'll still have the veteran/talented starting front, but the backups will have more depth and, I would expect, the ability to rotate into and out of the game more frequently.

Here is what I see, we are set up the middle. Johanning, plus the credentials of the underclassmen profiles. All state, intelligent, experienced and can move. I’d like to see a combined 2,000 yards rushing. This year will be about the right tackle. The depth of this OL is staggering and Cutch built a lot of versatility. In prior posts it was mentioned we have 2 NFL receivers in the room. IF that’s true we have a natty championship team. We will protect and run if we can pass effectively. Huff will be even better this year. Look OUT!

[apaladin]

Would like to know who our 2 “NFL” receivers are.

[FurmanFan23]

All of them are

[The Jackal]

Would like to know who our 2 “NFL” receivers are.

I haven't the slightest idea about NFL aspirations, but Harris and Dean should be arguably the best 1-2 punch at WR in the SoCon.

Harris, in particular, somewhat quietly put up an outstanding season as the #2 option behind Ryan Miller. His 48 catches and 667 yards would rival some of the best seasons from a Furman WR the last 20 years.

I think most encouraging for Furman fans is how much better Harris got over the course of the season. He was outstanding the last 6 games and had a 40+ yard reception in 4 of the last 5 contests, really solidifying himself as a deep threat in this offense.

[FUwolfpacker]

I haven't the slightest idea about NFL aspirations, but Harris and Dean should be arguably the best 1-2 punch at WR in the SoCon.

Harris, in particular, somewhat quietly put up an outstanding season as the #2 option behind Ryan Miller. His 48 catches and 667 yards would rival some of the best seasons from a Furman WR the last 20 years.

I think most encouraging for Furman fans is how much better Harris got over the course of the season. He was outstanding the last 6 games and had a 40+ yard reception in 4 of the last 5 contests, really solidifying himself as a deep threat in this offense.

As much as I don't want to take what I assume will be FUbear's side, I think in regards to the best 1-2 punch at WR in the SoCon, the conversation has to at least start with Harper and James. Dean has potential to be pretty good, but not sure he did enough last year to vault them ahead of Mercer's duo.

I do believe we are just starting to see what Harris is capable of going forward. Like Jackal said, I felt like you could see him growing as the season unfolded. Dean and Anderson are certainly capable and should see more production this year without Ryan Miller.

[FUBeAR]

I haven't the slightest idea about NFL aspirations, but Harris and Dean should be arguably the best 1-2 punch at WR in the SoCon.

Harris, in particular, somewhat quietly put up an outstanding season as the #2 option behind Ryan Miller. His 48 catches and 667 yards would rival some of the best seasons from a Furman WR the last 20 years.

I think most encouraging for Furman fans is how much better Harris got over the course of the season. He was outstanding the last 6 games and had a 40+ yard reception in 4 of the last 5 contests, really solidifying himself as a deep threat in this offense.

As much as I don't want to take what I assume will be FUbear's side, I think in regards to the best 1-2 punch at WR in the SoCon, the conversation has to at least start with Harper and James. Dean has potential to be pretty good, but not sure he did enough last year to vault them ahead of Mercer's duo.

I do believe we are just starting to see what Harris is capable of going forward. Like Jackal said, I felt like you could see him growing as the season unfolded. Dean and Anderson are certainly capable and should see more production this year without Ryan Miller.

LOL - No need to take a "side" in this conversation.

FUBeAR just checked everyone's 2023 Season Stats and every Player in the country, at any position, all have a bunch of aughts by their names right now. What will happen this season remains to be seen and there is tremendous potential everywhere FUBeAR looks.

But...if we want to look 'behind the boat’ back to 2022, for whatever reason anyone would want to do that, then the 'wakes' for the Players / "1-2 Punches" named previously in this thread (plus adding back Miller, just for fun) looked like this...

Team | Player | Receptions | Yards | TD's | KR's | Yds | TD's | PR's | Yds | TD's | Carries | Yds | TD's | 'Touches' | Yds | TD's
Mercer | Ty James | 52 | 1105 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 53 | 1118 | 13
Mercer | Devron Harper | 78 | 987 | 10 | 18 | 523 | 1 | 10 | 169 | 1 | 25 | 220 | 4 | 131 | 1899 | 16
Mercer | "1-2 Punch" | 130| 2092 | 23 | 18 | 523 | 1 | 10 | 169 | 1 | 26 | 233 | 4 | 184 | 3017 | 29
Furman | Josh Harris | 48 | 667 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 49 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 54 | 716 | 5
Furman | Kyndel Dean | 44 | 407 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 407 | 0
Furman | "1-2 Punch" | 92 | 1074 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 49 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 98 | 1123 | 5
Furman | Ryan Miller | 72 | 762 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 72 | 762 | 12
Furman "1-2-3 Punch" | 164 | 1836 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 49 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 170 | 1885 | 17

Evaluate and 'argue' the data above as you would like...

Also, FWIW, Sam Herder at Hero Sports ranked James as the #2 and Harper as the #5 best returning WR's in FCS for 2023. https://herosports.com/fcs-football-top ... vers-bzbz/ As previously stated here on more than a few occasions, FUBeAR is not always a fan of Mr. Herder's opinions, but it is hard to deny, those 2 Bears are pretty darn good Players...as, certainly, are Harris and Dean.

FUBeAR expects (and hopes) to see a lot of amazing play out of all 4 of them in 2023!

[AstroDin]

^ not meaning to turn this into a WR discussion but I feel like Furman's receiving corps will be a great balance of experience, youth, talent, and size and speed.

I expect the core to be:
J Harris 6-2 182
Dean 6-1 186
Anderson 5-9 200
Shiflett 6-2 201
Ferguson 5-11 200
E Harris 6-2 188

next wave:
Hughes 5-11 205
Gunn 5-10 184
Capitano 5-9 173
Cannon 6-0 184

new dudes:
Holbrook 6-4 185 * participated in spring practice
Hinton 5-11 173
Hamilton 6-3 190

Once you list this group out, its a very interesting group of pieces for our offense. And throw in two 6-7 tight ends, plus a 6-5 and 6-4 tight end and all the different ways Roper uses them — I think we're going to be pretty nasty.