Furman is planning a change on the offensive side of the ball with seven Southern Conference games still to play.
Sources share with FootballScoop that the Paladins are planning a change at offensive play-caller. Justin Roper has spent the past few seasons in that role as offensive coordinator. Drew Dudzik, Furman's passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach, is expected to take on more responsibility with the change, sources add.
The move comes after Furman fell 13-9 at No. 19 Richmond without reaching the end zone. The Paladins finished with 215 total yards and averaged 3.5 yards per play, and all nine points came on Nathan Chapman field goals of 33, 42 and 49 yards. Connor Ackerley, making his first start, completed 15 of 30 passes for 137 yards and was sacked five times. Furman also lost two fumbles and was stopped twice inside the Richmond 20 in the fourth quarter.
Furman is currently sitting at 2-3 overall and 1-0 in league play. The Paladins opened with a 20-3 win over Anderson, lost 56-9 at Tennessee, won 20-13 at No. 14 Mercer, then dropped a 20-17 decision at home to No. 16 South Carolina State before Saturday's loss in Richmond. Furman has not scored more than 20 points in any game this season and is averaging 15 points per game.
Roper arrived in Greenville in January 2022 after two seasons as offensive coordinator at Holy Cross (FCS - MA), where his offenses won back-to-back Patriot League titles. The 2021 Crusaders went 10-3, reached the second round of the FCS playoffs and averaged 32.2 points per game.
His first year with the Furman program, the team went 10-3, averaged 33.3 points and 421.9 yards per game and won a first-round playoff game in 2022. The 2023 Paladins went 10-3 again, won the program's 15th SoCon championship and reached the FCS quarterfinals, with quarterback Tyler Huff named SoCon Offensive Player of the Year. Furman has since gone 3-8 in 2024 and 6-6 (4-4 SoCon) in 2025.
Before Holy Cross, Roper was quarterbacks coach at Northern Iowa (2019), offensive coordinator at Slippery Rock (2016-18), where the Rock went 26-10 over three seasons, quarterbacks coach at Valdosta State (2014-15) and running backs coach at Findlay (2013). As a player, he threw four touchdown passes for Oregon in the 2007 Sun Bowl, then transferred to Montana and helped the Griz reach the 2009 FCS title game.
Dudzik is in his fifth season on Clay Hendrix's staff. He joined Furman in 2022 as wide receivers coach before moving into his current role. Prior to Furman, he coached receivers at East Carolina (2019-21) and at his alma mater, James Madison (2016-18), where the Dukes won the 2016 FCS national title and went 14-1 as national runner-up in 2017. He started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Duke (2014-15).
Dudzik also played quarterback at JMU. As a senior starter, he threw for 1,925 yards and 13 touchdowns and ran for 728 yards and 10 more scores.
Look for Dudzik to be more involved this Saturday, when Furman hosts Wofford on Family Weekend. With the Paladins unbeaten in league play and a ranked road win at Mercer already banked, there is still plenty on the table in the SoCon.
Sources expect Hendrix to address this matter this week.
Stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.