Tennessee’s season opener brings Furman to Knoxville on Saturday, and the Paladins arrive with a few names and storylines worth watching before kickoff.
The biggest one, by far, is defensive end Joshua Stoneking. Dan Scott, the “Voice of Furman,” called him the centerpiece of the Paladins’ defense and didn’t hold back on the résumé.
“I think you have to start with our defensive end, Joshua Stoneking. He was a preseason All-American, and he has received every award that you can think of.
He finished second in FCS Player of the Year last year. He finished with 14.5 sacks and led us in tackles as a defensive end, which doesn't happen.
He was a monster,” Scott said.
Stoneking’s path to Furman has been just as notable. He had played only one football game in about a year and a half before the opener against Anderson, and that came in a mop-up role at Michigan.
Before that, he was the starter at East Carolina until an injury cut his season short. Scott described him as a fifth-year transfer and a Power 4 player who won the job, quickly earned the trust of his teammates, and brought something Furman has been missing.
“He is a real game changer in his ability to make plays with his feet. We haven't had that recently,” Scott said.
Furman also has help at linebacker from a preseason All-Conference player who took on a bigger load last season after Ryan Earl was hurt. Scott said he was “really good on a defense that was challenged quite a bit.”
Another name to know is Lipcomb, who gives Furman a different kind of presence after returning from injury. Scott said that, as a true freshman a couple of years ago, Lipcomb flashed as a potential “game-changer and big-play-hybrid kind of player.”
Last season, though, he was hurt early and missed the rest of the year. That made his return especially important for the passing game.
Scott also noted that Lipcomb came from Wingate and has already shown something Furman lacked a year ago. “People tried to account for Stoneking last year; no one could really get back there to create pressure when he was doubled, but this year it's different because Lipcomb lives in the backfield,” Scott said.
On the other side of the ball, Scott wants to see how Furman handles Tennessee’s speed and pressure. He said one of the main questions is whether the Volunteers will leave Stoneking alone or force a double team, and how that matchup plays out against Tennessee’s offensive line. He’s also watching the Paladins’ defense against what he called a high-powered four-vert offense and Tennessee’s hurry-up approach.
Furman’s offensive line will have its hands full too, especially in front of Garcia. Scott said the Paladins need room for their rushing attack, which he described as a three-headed monster at running back, but none of that will matter if the line can’t hold up. “We will be outweighed, and they will be faster, so I want to see how we do,” Scott said.
There is also a bigger-picture piece for Furman. Scott said the Paladins want to play hard and represent themselves well, but they also want to avoid injuries in a game like this. He pointed out that the most important games for Furman are the conference ones, since the conference champion gets an automatic bid to the FCS playoffs, and league play starts next week.
Coach Hendrix has framed the matchup the same way. “Coach Hendrix says we want the guys to enjoy the experience.
We play a team like Tennessee every year. We have played at multiple different places since I've been here in my 16 years, such as South Carolina, Clemson, Ole Miss, and others.
So, enjoying the experience, but being able to flip the switch when kickoff happens and become all business then,” Scott said.
A few more facts round out the picture. Tennessee has played Furman twice and is undefeated in the series.
The Volunteers will also have a new defensive coordinator for the first time since 2021. At quarterback, Tennessee is starting a true freshman in Week 1 for the first time since 2004.
Furman enters the game undefeated after beating Anderson, and the Paladins have yet to throw a touchdown pass in 2026.
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