Wake Forest is poised for a new run in the ACC

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BY: KENNY VARNER

Capital Sports Network

A new era has arrived in Winston-Salem. After 11 seasons, longtime head coach Dave Clawson has retired, and Jake Dickert—formerly of Washington State—has taken over the reins of the Wake Forest football program. While the cupboard is a bit bare with just two returning starters on offense and four on defense, there’s optimism around this fresh start. The Demon Deacons were aggressive in the transfer portal in an effort to build a competitive roster for 2025, and the schedule is soft enough to flirt with bowl eligibility in Dickert’s debut season.

At Washington State, Coach Dickert had the benefit of coaching talented quarterbacks like Cam Ward and John Mateer. This fall, however, he’ll be starting from scratch. The quarterback battle will feature Robby Ashford (transfer from South Carolina) and Deshawn Purdie (Charlotte), both of whom remain complete unknowns at the FBS level. It all starts up front, and Wake Forest struggled mightily there last year, averaging just 3.5 yards per carry. All five starting offensive linemen are gone, but there are some encouraging pieces. George Sell saw rotational snaps last season, and Fa’alili Fa’amoe—a standout tackle under Dickert at Washington State—looks poised to shift inside to center. Devin Kylany also followed Dickert from Pullman, while Jacob Dennison (Ohio) could be an instant contributor.

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The backfield will lean on Demond Claiborne, who is coming off a 1,049-yard, 11-touchdown season and is expected to take another step forward in his development. At wide receiver, Micah Mays is the lone returning starter, but Dickert bolstered the room by bringing in familiar faces in Carlos Hernandez and Chris Barnes, both of whom know his offensive system. Sterling Berkhalter (Cincinnati) and Sawyer Racanelli (Montana) offer size and should fit nicely into the rotation.

On defense, Wake returns just four starters, but notably, three of the team’s top four tacklers are back: safeties Nick Anderson and Davaughn Patterson, and linebacker Dylan Hazen. This unit gave up 33 points per game last season—the worst mark in the ACC—and needed serious reinforcements. Senior Zach Lohavichan is the only returning player up front and is expected to be a better fit on the interior line. The Deacons added Gabe Kirschke (Colorado State), who recorded 6.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss last year. His former CSU teammate, Nu’er Gatkuoth, could be an under-the-radar steal if he returns to form after an injury-riddled 2024.

Depth was also added with the likes of Jayden Loving (Bethune-Cookman) and Dallas Afalava (Idaho). Hazen, who had 84 tackles last year, leads the linebacker group, while Quincy Bryant is expected to take on a larger role as a veteran presence. The cornerback unit was a major weakness a season ago, prompting a portal overhaul that brought in Ladarius Webb Jr. (South Alabama), Sascha Garcia (William & Mary), Karon Prunty (NC A&T), and Ashaad Williams (North Alabama). Fortunately, the safety positions are rock solid with Anderson (122 tackles) and Patterson (74 tackles) returning.

There are still far more questions than answers for this Wake Forest team, but Coach Dickert brings a spark of new energy to a program in transition. The Deacons should be heavy favorites in their first two games and could enter ACC play at 2-0 with a home matchup against NC State. A late November contest against Delaware looks winnable, and an unusual cross-country trip to Oregon State adds intrigue to the schedule. With no Clemson, Miami, Louisville, or Syracuse to face, there’s a real path to six wins if they can pull off an upset or two.

Wake Forest is in the early stages of a rebuild, laying down a new culture under Dickert. Four to five wins would represent a solid first step on the path back to relevance.