Furman football is no stranger to winning, but you will have to go back to 2005 to find the last time the Dins racked up so many “Ws” on the schedule. 2022 was an excellent season for the Paladin football squad. The Dins, led by head coach Clay Hendrix, amassed an awe-inspiring ten-win season. Some bright spots included a win in the FCS playoffs and leading the FCS in forced turnovers. Indeed an impressive season for Hendrix’s squad, one that will be added to the team’s and staff’s resumés. The question that lingers in the minds of many is the forecast for next year: are we in for another winning season? Or is it just a flash in the pan?
The answer is undoubtedly positive, but Furman had to lose some to gain. First and foremost, the Dins lost many players to graduation. The losses in that realm certainly stack up, and that is expected from time to time. Some transfer portal losses include CB Dominic Morris (Colorado State), C Evan Jumper (Coastal Carolina), and QB Jace Wilson (Texas Southern). We all wish them the best!
This spring, summer, and fall will undoubtedly see a heated quarterback battle. Yet luckily, in this situation, the good heavily outweighs the bad. Hendrix and his staff managed to land 15 recruits on the trail, likely filling all the gaps in the depth chart. First and foremost, the Dins picked up a QB in Nehuel Garcia to add to the already deep QB room after the departure of Tyler Huff (graduated) and Jace Wilson (Texas Southern). Garcia passed more than 1,500 yards for back-to-back seasons at La Mirada High School in California. His dual-threat ability will indeed satisfy OC Justin Roper’s RPO-heavy offense.
The Dins need a QB who can make aggressive throws into tight windows with a great deep ball this season. The weapons in the receiver corps could be extremely lethal if Hendrix were to find a good sidekick for WR Joshua Harris – and Hendrix did that by signing 6’4 WR John Holbrook from IMG Academy. First of all, coming from IMG Academy is a start. IMG has been known to be a factory for future NFL talent that exceeds counting on both hands. Holbrook adds some significant stature to the Din’s receiver corps which will likely prove lethal if used correctly. The Southern Conference better watch out, as a Holbrook-Harris coordinated attack could have disastrous consequences for unprepared defenses.
The grin on Hendrix’s face kept growing and growing as national signing day came and passed. OC Justin Roper was likely letting out a “super-villain” laugh in his office that day as they also landed a 6’5, 250lb TE Brock Chappell. For reference, another Brock, Brock Bowers, from UGA won the Mackey Award and the national championship, but Chappell is an inch taller and weighs about 30 pounds heavier.
An even taller TE was added in 6’7, 221lb Brennan Tormey. Hendrix should be careful because Tormey could easily make it on Richey’s basketball squad. Beware if these two are on the field at the same time. This duo adds much-needed physicality to the blocking and receiving scheme and fills the void from veteran TE Ryan Miller’s departure. Add in some hefty lineman to the mix (which Hendrix also recruited), and the result is ripe in physicality. This physicality could result in six simply lining up in goal line formation for an entire drive. Once again, the system should be blinking a warning red for SoCon defensive coordinators.
On the defensive side of the ball, there are still some gaps that need to be filled. However, Hendrix added multiple linebackers and defensive backs that will be crucial to the new rotation. It will undoubtedly be difficult for the new defense to live up to the stats of the last. The Dins will certainly need to keep an eye out for attacks through the air but not turn a blind eye to check-downs in the flat. Besides, Roper on the offense can play a game of keep-away with the intense offense by chewing the clock and keeping the opposing offense off the field to make up for the defense, but I see this as an unlikely decision.
In the end, this off-season has been very kind to the Dins. In some early polls, the Dins rank as high as #6. We can only hope for this upcoming season to be as great as the last, but still, it is only January. Go Dins!
