Transfers

[HB88]

I do not think the official website typically makes announcements for walk-ons, does it?

[apaladin]

I do not think the official website typically makes announcements for walk-ons, does it?

Good question but they probably do since he is a transfer and an addition to the roster.

[The Jackal]

Will have to rely on the coaches on this one as they obviously see something. For a team that threw for almost 3,200 yds this year he had 30 receiving yards. I would think he is a walkon.

One, Furman likely wouldn’t announce a walk on.

Two, I think you are misunderstanding what Furman is doing offensively.

I think you can forget this notion of Ryan Miller as the do everything hybrid slot/TE/Hback player. Furman isn’t going to find a TE that is going to catch for 700-800 yards every season. MIller is a unicorn - a slot receiver in a fullback’s body called a TE. We aren’t going to replace him.

I expect Pline to be a lot closer to Parks Gissinger than Ryan Miller.

Gissinger caught 4 passes for 13 yards, but I thought for the season was one of the most critical components of Furman’s offense last season. Gissinger was a big physical blocker and a versatile player Furman would move around the formation to give the offense an advantage in the run game and play action passing attack.

I expect Pline and Gissinger both to operate primarily as in-line TEs. I expect Miller’s snaps in the slot to go to wide receivers, not TEs.

Even then, Pline as a prototype is much closer to what Furman is currently doing in recruiting the last two seasons:

Gissinger - 6’4 240
Chappell - 6’5 250
Tormey - 6’7 221
Pline - 6’7 250

If he’s an athletic edge run blocker and a threat near the goal line, then this could be a big pickup for the 2023 team.

[AstroDin]

I'm confident Pline isn't a walk-on, for one enrolling into a Furman grad program costs the football budget $$$$.

From what I've read FSU runs what they call a speed in space offense. Pline has been the starter at TE for two years and used primarily as a blocker as well as on special teams, he was a weapon on the FG/EP defenses.

Pline also had several other offers, including New Hampshire.

[The Jackal]

I'm confident Pline isn't a walk-on, for one enrolling into a Furman grad program costs the football budget $$$$.

From what I've read FSU runs what they call a speed in space offense. Pline has been the starter at TE for two years and used primarily as a blocker as well as on special teams, he was a weapon on the FG/EP defenses.

Pline also had several other offers, including New Hampshire.

From a cursory glance, Ferris State runs a similar offense to Furman.

[gman84]

I'm confident Pline isn't a walk-on, for one enrolling into a Furman grad program costs the football budget $$$$.

From what I've read FSU runs what they call a speed in space offense. Pline has been the starter at TE for two years and used primarily as a blocker as well as on special teams, he was a weapon on the FG/EP defenses.

Pline also had several other offers, including New Hampshire.

From a cursory glance, Ferris State runs a similar offense to Furman.

Agree, agree! The staff has been very selective with what they want and who will fill that role.

[The Jackal]

I'm confident Pline isn't a walk-on, for one enrolling into a Furman grad program costs the football budget $$$$.

From what I've read FSU runs what they call a speed in space offense. Pline has been the starter at TE for two years and used primarily as a blocker as well as on special teams, he was a weapon on the FG/EP defenses.

Pline also had several other offers, including New Hampshire.

From a cursory glance, Ferris State runs a similar offense to Furman.

Agree, agree! The staff has been very selective with what they want and who will fill that role.

There's no doubt. The two grad transfers Furman has picked up to this point have both been very specific type players from good D2 programs that, I expect, will be asked to fill a specific role.

[Afurmanfan]

All I can tell you is that the coaches are very excited about his size and athleticism. And he has two years of eligibility, whether he stays for two years is another question.

[The Jackal]

I keep sort of floating back to this, but under Roper we seem to be tracking along with what some of the top programs at our level are doing in terms of offensive sets.

Watch NDSU last year against SDSU and see just how often they are running with multiple TE sets (

It's a huge part of their offense.

Hendrix reported prior to last season that it can be a little tricky to recruit TEs. Not a lot of high school offenses today really utilize them, so you are having to find guys that may be playing other positions and project them as a TE in your offense. I think Furman is doing a good job of identifying those guys.

This season, I am really interested to see how Furman utilizes both the backs and TEs. We've got some physical running backs. Our TE room is going to have som big bodies as well. A few of our backs or TEs can almost act as a traditional fullback in certain sets.

[FurmanFan23]

What were his basketball offers? Do we think he plays more than Gissenger.

[The Jackal]

What were his basketball offers? Do we think he plays more than Gissenger.

I would expect Gissinger is TE1.

In some ways, Gissinger already was our starting TE. In fact, at least three games he did start at TE (UTC, Mercer, and Wofford) as Miller was a slot receiver to begin the game.

I was a big fan of how Furman used Gissinger all season. And just because I haven't talked football in a while. . .

Here's a TD against Wofford. Gissinger in without Miller. Run to the left. Gissinger drives Wofford's edge defender into the defensive backfield.

Big pass play against Mercer. Furman pulls Gissinger inside on an RPO. He won't show up on the stat sheet, but Furman's ability to use him as a lead blocker forces Mercer's linebackers to step up against numbers in the run game. Huff throws it in the blank space behind them for a big gain.

Against UTC, pulls around the line and is the lead blocker on a long option run.

You won't see too many backup TE appreciation threads, but I really think #81 was one of the reasons Furman's offense went from scoring 24+ ppg in 2021 to 33+ ppg in 2022. Pline will probably give Furman just that more depth and potentially the option to add another bully in the box.

[The Jackal]

And one more for good measure.

4th and 1 against UTC. Gissinger blocks down, climbs to the second level, and gets the block on the middle linebacker to spring Huff.

[FUBeAR]

Besides all this, rumors abound that Gissenger is a dead-eye marksman on 100’ heavily-breaking putts. Not sure if that will come into play this Fall, but it’s a life-skill that can pay off handsomely.

[The Jackal]

Besides all this, rumors abound that Gissenger is a dead-eye marksman on 100’ heavily-breaking putts. Not sure if that will come into play this Fall, but it’s a life-skill that can pay off handsomely.

Probably also useful for getting stuff off the top shelf.

[cavedweller2]

Will have to rely on the coaches on this one as they obviously see something. For a team that threw for almost 3,200 yds this year he had 30 receiving yards. I would think he is a walkon.

One, Furman likely wouldn’t announce a walk on.

Two, I think you are misunderstanding what Furman is doing offensively.

I think you can forget this notion of Ryan Miller as the do everything hybrid slot/TE/Hback player. Furman isn’t going to find a TE that is going to catch for 700-800 yards every season. MIller is a unicorn - a slot receiver in a fullback’s body called a TE. We aren’t going to replace him.

I expect Pline to be a lot closer to Parks Gissinger than Ryan Miller.

Gissinger caught 4 passes for 13 yards, but I thought for the season was one of the most critical components of Furman’s offense last season. Gissinger was a big physical blocker and a versatile player Furman would move around the formation to give the offense an advantage in the run game and play action passing attack.

I expect Pline and Gissinger both to operate primarily as in-line TEs. I expect Miller’s snaps in the slot to go to wide receivers, not TEs.

Even then, Pline as a prototype is much closer to what Furman is currently doing in recruiting the last two seasons:

Gissinger - 6’4 240
Chappell - 6’5 250
Tormey - 6’7 221
Pline - 6’7 250

If he’s an athletic edge run blocker and a threat near the goal line, then this could be a big pickup for the 2023 team.

Red Zone. FCS defensive nightmare. Put them all out there with Robertoetc.