GREENVILLE, SC - Led by returning starting quarterback Tyler Huff, the Furman University football team will feature three starters from Clay County. Huff, a graduate student-athlete in his second year with a post-COVID eligibility season after leaving Presbyterian College after a sterling four-year career there, led Furman to a 10-3 last year with two rounds of Florida College Series playoff games. Huff is a Ridgeview High School graduate in Orange Park, FL.

"Tyler had a terrific year (in 2022)," said head coach Clay Hendrix. "I was watching some stuff from August a year ago when he hadn't been here very long. A lot of people don't remember he was coming off a knee injury. Now he's completely healthy, has put on some good weight, and is about 215 pounds. He's continued to evolve and is now one of our captains."

Playing in 12 of Furman's 13 games, missing only the Samford contest (34-27 loss) due to injury, Huff completed 199-of-292 passes (68.2 percent) for 2,199 yards and 15 touchdowns — a production he combined with equally impressive rushing statistics (school QB rushing record 694 yards, 6.6 ypc, 8 TDs) to establish himself as a true dual-threat quarterback that can give defenses ulcers, as Chattanooga (24-20 win), Mercer (23-13 win), and Wofford (63-28 win) can attest.

On the Furman defense are linebacker Alex Maeir of Fleming Island and defensive lineman Jeremiah Jackson.

The defensive end features two established players in Jeremiah Jackson (6-0, 260, R-Jr.) and Jack Barton (6-4, 264, R-Sr.), who combined to cover the 13 starts a year ago. Jackson is a Fleming Island High School graduate in Fleming Island, FL.

At Bandit the Paladins count three veteran performers: Luke Clark (6-3, 250, R-Jr.), Alex Maier (6-4, 238, R-So.), and Emmanuel Adebayo (6-2, 225, Gr.). Maier is also a Fleming Island High School graduate.

In 2023, Maier logged extensive duty in the Paladins' heavy defensive rotation last year, totaling 24 tackles and 4.5 sacks.