Furman exceeded expectations in 2017 under first year head coach Clay Hendrix. Despite being picked to finish near the bottom of their conference, the Paladins won eight games and made the second round of the FCS playoffs. Thanks to this, and fifteen returning starters, the Paladins enter the 2018 season as a top 25 FCS team.
Furman only returns five starters on offense, most notably losing last year’s starting quarterback P.J. Blazejowski. Blazejowski was an efficient passer and just good enough of a running threat to make the option work. Hendrix spent most of the past decade coaching Air Force’s offensive line, and like Air Force the Paladins run an option scheme based out of the flexbone.