The Extra Down: Stoner, Furnish Embrace Leadership Along the Line
9/24/2026 10:00:00 AM | Football
STATESBORO – For second-year Brandon Stoner and sixth-year Ty Furnish, the path to becoming leaders along Georgia Southern's offensive line started in different places.
Stoner arrived in Statesboro as an early enrollee, learning the college game from veteran offensive linemen who helped prepare him for his first season. Furnish, who spent his first four seasons at Virginia, came to Georgia Southern through the transfer portal looking for something beyond football.
For both, it was the people around them that made the difference.
"This was the only place where I felt comfortable and like I could thrive," Stoner said. "It felt like a family, like I was really at home. I can thrive anywhere as long as I'm comfortable and the people around me are in my corner."
That sense of family was just as important to Furnish when he made the decision to leave Virginia and continue his career at Georgia Southern.
"When I was going through that process, my high school head coach was friends with Coach Helton and was kind of my advisor," Furnish said. "He explained to me the kind of family and relationships the coaches and players have here, and that was probably the main thing that attracted me."
That environment has helped shape a young offensive line that entered the 2026 season without a single returning starter from the previous year.
While the group lacks starting experience from 2025, it does not lack players who have been around the game. Furnish has embraced that experience, naturally becoming one of the room's leaders as the younger players around him take on larger roles.
"We don't have anyone who started here last year, but we have a lot of guys with experience," Furnish said. "I kind of fell into the main leadership role, and it just worked out that way. I've been in a leadership role before, and the guys get along great. I think it's good for me because it helps me improve my game and grow as a person."
For Stoner, that transition is something he has experienced from the other side.
After spending his freshman season learning behind a veteran offensive line, Stoner is now stepping into a starting role of his own. Along with the increased responsibility on the field has come a new responsibility to the players around him.
"I'm not a big vocal leader. I've always led by example, but recently, when my teammates needed me, I've stepped into more of a vocal leadership role," Stoner said. "It's still a little uncomfortable, but it was something I naturally got pushed into because we have so many younger guys."
The change is part of the growth Stoner has experienced since arriving to the 'Boro.
Enrolling early gave him the opportunity to learn the college game before his first season, from understanding the pace and schemes to developing the eye progressions necessary to play offensive line at the collegiate level.
"I enrolled early because I was ready, but it helped me learn how college football works – the pace, the schemes and different plays," Stoner said. "I didn't know much about football when I got here, so I had to learn eye progressions and where I needed to be. The veteran guys really poured into me, too. They saw something in me that I don't know if I saw in myself, and they were patient with me every day. By the time I got here, I felt ready."
Now, Stoner is becoming the veteran presence for younger players that he once relied on.
Furnish has watched that progression firsthand, particularly with players like Stoner, Colin Alexander and Matthew Williams stepping into starting roles.
"Let's take Colin, for example," Furnish said. "Last year, he knew what to do and where to go, but I think he was lacking the confidence that comes from playing a lot and getting a lot of reps through the spring, summer and camp."
That confidence has become an important part of the group's development, but so has the guidance coming from its coaches.
Offensive line coach Zach Lankford enters his third season leading the room, providing a balance of accountability and personality that Stoner has come to appreciate.
"From the jump, he was the one who gave me my offer because he saw my potential," Stoner said. "I've always respected him for that. He's not going to sugarcoat anything – he's going to keep it real. He likes to joke and play around, but when it's time to get serious, he gets serious. He's just a real dude, and that's what makes him so good."
There is another familiar voice in the coaches offices, as well.
Kim Helton, the father of head coach Clay Helton and a former college and NFL coach, continues to share his wealth of experience with offensive line coach Zach Lankford, who he coached at UAB.
For Stoner, seeing that relationship has been another example of the experience surrounding Georgia Southern's offensive line room.
"My dad saw that as a major part of my recruiting," Stoner said. "He told me having a Hall of Fame coach who has coached multiple Hall of Fame players talking with our coaches could be a huge help. I feel like he's really pushed [Coach Lankford] to the next level."
That experience ultimately makes its way into the offensive line room through Lankford, helping shape the culture and expectations for a group that continues to grow together.
"Everybody goes through stuff, but at the end of the day, you have a responsibility not only to yourself but to this team," Stoner said. "No matter what you're going through, you have to push through it because everybody has something going on, but they're still counting on you."
That mentality has helped Stoner make the transition from the young player learning from veterans to one of the players younger teammates can now look toward.
It is a similar transition Furnish has made, bringing the lessons from his four seasons at Virginia into a new offensive line and a new role within the group.
Different paths brought the two linemen to Georgia Southern, but the same foundation now connects them: trust in the players beside them, confidence in the work they have put in and a responsibility to the teammates counting on them.
And with Houston set to become the first Power 4 program to play at Paulson Stadium, that responsibility takes on an added significance for Stoner and the Eagles.
"It's a historical standpoint," Stoner said. "They're the first Power 4 team to come into Paulson Stadium, so we just have to come out and show out."
Georgia Southern hosts No. 25 Houston Saturday at 4 p.m. ET. Tickets can be purchased at GSEagles.com/Tickets.Â
Â
Stoner arrived in Statesboro as an early enrollee, learning the college game from veteran offensive linemen who helped prepare him for his first season. Furnish, who spent his first four seasons at Virginia, came to Georgia Southern through the transfer portal looking for something beyond football.
For both, it was the people around them that made the difference.
"This was the only place where I felt comfortable and like I could thrive," Stoner said. "It felt like a family, like I was really at home. I can thrive anywhere as long as I'm comfortable and the people around me are in my corner."
That sense of family was just as important to Furnish when he made the decision to leave Virginia and continue his career at Georgia Southern.
"When I was going through that process, my high school head coach was friends with Coach Helton and was kind of my advisor," Furnish said. "He explained to me the kind of family and relationships the coaches and players have here, and that was probably the main thing that attracted me."
That environment has helped shape a young offensive line that entered the 2026 season without a single returning starter from the previous year.
While the group lacks starting experience from 2025, it does not lack players who have been around the game. Furnish has embraced that experience, naturally becoming one of the room's leaders as the younger players around him take on larger roles.
"We don't have anyone who started here last year, but we have a lot of guys with experience," Furnish said. "I kind of fell into the main leadership role, and it just worked out that way. I've been in a leadership role before, and the guys get along great. I think it's good for me because it helps me improve my game and grow as a person."
For Stoner, that transition is something he has experienced from the other side.
After spending his freshman season learning behind a veteran offensive line, Stoner is now stepping into a starting role of his own. Along with the increased responsibility on the field has come a new responsibility to the players around him.
"I'm not a big vocal leader. I've always led by example, but recently, when my teammates needed me, I've stepped into more of a vocal leadership role," Stoner said. "It's still a little uncomfortable, but it was something I naturally got pushed into because we have so many younger guys."
The change is part of the growth Stoner has experienced since arriving to the 'Boro.
Enrolling early gave him the opportunity to learn the college game before his first season, from understanding the pace and schemes to developing the eye progressions necessary to play offensive line at the collegiate level.
"I enrolled early because I was ready, but it helped me learn how college football works – the pace, the schemes and different plays," Stoner said. "I didn't know much about football when I got here, so I had to learn eye progressions and where I needed to be. The veteran guys really poured into me, too. They saw something in me that I don't know if I saw in myself, and they were patient with me every day. By the time I got here, I felt ready."
Now, Stoner is becoming the veteran presence for younger players that he once relied on.
Furnish has watched that progression firsthand, particularly with players like Stoner, Colin Alexander and Matthew Williams stepping into starting roles.
"Let's take Colin, for example," Furnish said. "Last year, he knew what to do and where to go, but I think he was lacking the confidence that comes from playing a lot and getting a lot of reps through the spring, summer and camp."
That confidence has become an important part of the group's development, but so has the guidance coming from its coaches.
Offensive line coach Zach Lankford enters his third season leading the room, providing a balance of accountability and personality that Stoner has come to appreciate.
"From the jump, he was the one who gave me my offer because he saw my potential," Stoner said. "I've always respected him for that. He's not going to sugarcoat anything – he's going to keep it real. He likes to joke and play around, but when it's time to get serious, he gets serious. He's just a real dude, and that's what makes him so good."
There is another familiar voice in the coaches offices, as well.
Kim Helton, the father of head coach Clay Helton and a former college and NFL coach, continues to share his wealth of experience with offensive line coach Zach Lankford, who he coached at UAB.
For Stoner, seeing that relationship has been another example of the experience surrounding Georgia Southern's offensive line room.
"My dad saw that as a major part of my recruiting," Stoner said. "He told me having a Hall of Fame coach who has coached multiple Hall of Fame players talking with our coaches could be a huge help. I feel like he's really pushed [Coach Lankford] to the next level."
That experience ultimately makes its way into the offensive line room through Lankford, helping shape the culture and expectations for a group that continues to grow together.
"Everybody goes through stuff, but at the end of the day, you have a responsibility not only to yourself but to this team," Stoner said. "No matter what you're going through, you have to push through it because everybody has something going on, but they're still counting on you."
That mentality has helped Stoner make the transition from the young player learning from veterans to one of the players younger teammates can now look toward.
It is a similar transition Furnish has made, bringing the lessons from his four seasons at Virginia into a new offensive line and a new role within the group.
Different paths brought the two linemen to Georgia Southern, but the same foundation now connects them: trust in the players beside them, confidence in the work they have put in and a responsibility to the teammates counting on them.
And with Houston set to become the first Power 4 program to play at Paulson Stadium, that responsibility takes on an added significance for Stoner and the Eagles.
"It's a historical standpoint," Stoner said. "They're the first Power 4 team to come into Paulson Stadium, so we just have to come out and show out."
Georgia Southern hosts No. 25 Houston Saturday at 4 p.m. ET. Tickets can be purchased at GSEagles.com/Tickets.Â
Â
Players Mentioned
OL
/ Football
OL
/ Football
OL
/ Football
OL
/ FootballTuesday, September 22
Monday, September 21
Monday, September 21
Friday, September 18
