HERO Sports Launches FCS Spotlight Featuring Furman DE Stoneking, YSU QB Brungard

HERO Sports launches an FCS Spotlight that singles out Furman defensive end Joshua Stoneking and Youngstown State quarterback Beau Brungard as "key players to watch heading into 2026 spring practices." The announcement puts both players on an early evaluation track for coaches and scouts as programs prepare for spring work.

Furman arrives in that conversation off a program-strength stretch documented in HERO Sports’ 2024 preview. The Paladins were ranked No. 14 in HERO Sports’ 2024 FCS Preseason Top 25 after a 2023 campaign that finished 10-3 and ended with a 35-28 loss at Montana in the FCS quarterfinals. Those results frame why any defensive lineman at Furman draws attention: the program expects contributors to help push the team beyond a quarterfinal exit.

The 2024 preview lists returning and incoming pieces relevant to that push. Furman returned 2023 All-Conference first-team DE Luke Clark and second-team kicker Ian Williams, and brought in three FBS transfers: tight end Joshua Burrell from Florida State, defensive back Jalen Tate from Georgia State, and quarterback Isaac Ward from USC. The preview also notes zero transfers coming in from the FCS. On defense the preview calls the secondary "a question mark after Furman loses its top three safeties and top three cornerbacks," while strong safety Caleb Williams logged all 13 games with 250 snaps and 17 tackles in 2023 and Jalen Tate projects as the free safety addition.

Offensively the 2024 notes show receiver continuity that could ease quarterback transitions: Colton Hinton returned with 34 catches for 404 yards and 2 touchdowns, Joshua Harris had 42 catches for 380 yards and 2 touchdowns, and Ben Ferguson totaled 27 catches for 335 yards and 1 touchdown. Conversely, rushing production had attrition - the preview states the top three rushers from 2023 departed - leaving Myion Hicks as the most experienced back with 36 carries for 243 yards and 3 TDs and Jayquan Smith with 28 carries in five games for 123 yards and 2 TDs.

HERO Sports’ Spotlight flags Stoneking at a moment when Furman’s front seven will be counted on to pressure opponents and compensate for a thinner secondary. The preview’s inclusion of Luke Clark as a returning first-team defensive end creates a front-line pairing evaluators will want to monitor in spring drills, though the supplied materials do not include Stoneking’s college statistics, class, or snap counts for 2023-2025.

Youngstown State’s Beau Brungard is the other name the Spotlight highlights for 2026 spring practice watch lists; the announcement supplies only his identification as YSU’s quarterback and does not provide game stats or class information. That limited detail makes Brungard an intriguing, if under-documented, target for coaches seeking clarity from spring reps.

Furman’s 2024 schedule listed high-profile tests that shaped the program’s recent trajectory: an opener at Ole Miss, a 9/21 road game at No. 17 William & Mary, and SoCon matchups including No. 10 Chattanooga and No. 16 Western Carolina. With the program coming off 10-3 in 2023 and a No. 14 preseason tag in 2024, HERO Sports’ decision to spotlight Stoneking ties directly to program expectations, while Brungard’s inclusion signals an early look at quarterbacks who could define YSU’s 2026 outlook. The real answers will arrive on the spring field - measurable snaps, pass-rush numbers for Stoneking, and Brungard’s timing with his receivers will determine how these early watch names translate into impact.