The reinstatement of Josh Harris should give a boost to Wake’s ground game. (Jeremy Brevard-USAToday)
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
2012 Record: 5-7 (3-5 ACC)
OFFENSE
Scheme: By coach Jim Grobe’s own estimation, Wake Forest does not have a set scheme on offense or defense. Instead, constrained by Wake’s academic standards, they build their scheme around their personnel every year. This season, Grobe has promised to pull out all the stops to reinvent an offense that has stagnated for several years. The most likely bet is you’ll see some of the misdirection of Grobe’s early years at Wake and more option. Wake was more of a passing team the past two years, but chances are they’ll try to be less predictable.
Quarterbacks: Senior Tanner Price has 34 career starts, but at first glance he doesn’t appear a fit for this new option heavy offense. However, Price (2300 yards, 56%, 12 TDs, 7 interceptions) was known as a dual-threat QB coming out of high school and actually ran the option a lot as a freshman. He has good mobility and rarely makes mistakes, but he also isn’t going to hit the home run and instead dinks and dunks the ball. Backups Patrick Thompson and Kevin Sousa are both good athletes who could run this system, but are certainly a drop-off from Price.
Running Backs: The running game has been quite mediocre but there is potential here in senior Josh Harris and sophomore Deandre Martin. Harris (608 yds, 4.4 average, 5 TDs, 19 receptions) was declared academically ineligible by the NCAA earlier this summer, but was suddenly reinstated about a week ago. An all-conference talent, Harris has struggled with injuries throughout his career. Therefore, Wake needs Martin (490 yds, 3.9 avg, 6 TDs, 16 receptions) to be ready to carry the load. A tough, north-south runner, Martin can help move the pile. He has deceptive speed, as evidenced by the fact that he returns kicks. Redshirt frosh Josh Wilhite, quick and explosive, can provide a home run threat and might see a few carries per game.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: Wake Forest has plenty of options, but there is a distinct lack of playmakers in this group. Senior Michael Campanaro (79 recs, 763 yds, 6 TDs) is a great possession receiver who is also dangerous on fly sweeps and trick plays. He is tough and strong, but won’t hit many big plays. Junior Brandon Terry (15 recs, 290 yds) started seven games and has great size. Sophomore Sherman Ragland III (23 recs, 247 yds) missed the spring due to disciplinary issues, but will return in the summer and provides another security blanket.
The guys who might be able to provide big plays are junior Orville Reynolds and redshirt frosh Jared Crump. Reynolds has not done much in his career thus far but he was voted the most improved player in the spring and has the speed and quickness other receivers on the roster lack. Crump has a nice size-speed blend and will at least be a solid third or fourth option.
Wake did not utilize the tight end much in 2012 in the passing game, but the coaching staff wants to change that. Senior Spencer Bishop only caught three passes last year but is a solid blocker and hard worker. Junior Daniel Vogelsgang and redshirt freshmen Anthony Rook and Zach Gordon, both three-star recruits, are better receivers and should see the field plenty.
Offensive Line: The Demon Deacons offensive line has been mediocre for several years now and it is surely vexing to Grobe, who prefers at least the semblance of a running attack. The good news is that four starters are back and Wake has great size here. The question is if experience will make this unit better or not.
Senior Whit Barnes is probably the best returning player, based on last season, but he is shifting from LG to center. Solid if nothing else, Barnes is hoping to replicate the good season he had last year. Taking over at LG will be junior Antonio Ford, who started at LT and LG last year before breaking his leg. Fully recovered, Ford is a powerful guy who should help the run blocking of this group. Joining them on the interior is senior Frank Souza, who has 14 career starts, tops among the returners. A former defensive lineman, Souza is more competent than anything else.
The tackle spots are more worrisome, especially with the uncertainty surrounding junior Colin Summers, who started 11 games last year at RT but has had issues with blood clots in his lungs. If Summers can’t go, expect senior Steven Chase to start at LT with sophomore Dylan Intemann taking over for Summers at RT. Chase was limited to three games last year due to a torn ACL but often receives praise from the coaches. Intemann started the last four games last year and improved with each one. He has good upside. Sophomore Hunter Goodwin started the season finale at RT and could prove to be a valuable backup.
DEFENSE
Scheme: As much press as Grobe’s misdirection running game got in years past and is getting now that it may be reintroduced, Wake Forest won an ACC title and was a perennial contender due to this side of the ball. The 2012 defense was neither good nor bad. The run defense was okay, but the pass defense largely struggled and the Demon Deacons were really poor on third down and in the red zone. With upperclassmen leadership and experience, as well as decent depth, coordinator Brian Knorr has no excuses if this year’s unit struggles as bad as last season.
Defensive Line: Wake shifted to a 3-4 defense a few years back and they have an excellent, if undersized, nose tackle in senior Nikita Whitlock. Quick, explosive, and a playmaker, Whitlock (51 tackles, 5.5 for loss, 3 sacks) will be an all-star if he can avoid the injuries that plagued him last year. Sophomore Tylor Harris (19 tackles, 4.5 for loss, 1.5 sacks) provides more beef behind Whitlock, although he can also play end. Redshirt freshman Shelldon Lewinson is undersized like Whitlock, but was a three-star recruit who has potential.
Wake has nice talent and depth at end too with returning starters Zach Thompson and Kris Redding, both seniors. Thompson (52 tackles, 5.5 for loss, 4 sacks) has good size to play the run, yet is also a decent pass rusher. Redding (30 tackles, 5.5 for loss, 3.5 sacks) brings more size to the table at 6-4, 275 but is still active, which is the norm for the Wake linemen. Harris could be used here for depth, but the coaches hope sophomore Desmond Floyd, junior Johnny Garcia, and redshirt frosh Josh Banks allow Harris to stay behind Whitlock. True freshman James Looney is a three-star recruit who goes 6-3, 275, and could see time immediately, although Wake typically redshirts as many freshmen as possible.
Linebackers: Riley Haynes, Joey Ehrmann, and Scott Betros have all graduated, taking a lot of game experience with them. That being said, none of the trio ever lived up to their billing or made many big plays. In fact, that was the problem with this group as a whole. Several players have shown potential and did okay against the run, but were below average against the pass, both blitzing and in coverage. The coaching staff is putting on a brave face, saying they like the mix of experience and talented youth, but until they prove otherwise, this is the obvious weakness of the defense.
The experience comes from seniors Justin Jackson and Mike Olson and junior Zachary Allen. Jackson (81 tackles, 8.5 for loss, 4 sacks) led the team in tackles last year and will start at ROLB. With speed, size, and athleticism, he could push for postseason honors. Olson (78 tackles, 3.5 for loss) is a run-stuffing inside linebacker with toughness and good instincts. Allen (42 tackles) missed spring ball due to injury, but is expected to win the other outside job. He’s nothing special, but solid.
The talented youth is largely in the form of sophomore ILB Brandon Chubb and redshirt freshman OLB Kevis Jones. Chubb (22 tackles) largely excelled on special teams last year, but is expected to start inside after having a nice offseason. He brings better size to the table, something the coaches hope can help in run defense. Jones rose up the depth chart in spring ball while Allen was injured, flashing the range and athleticism to both rush the passer and help in coverage. He may be suspect in run defense though.
Secondary: The Wake Forest secondary was pretty bad last year, ranking 100th in pass defense, but was that due to injuries, of which there were many, or a lack of talent and/or execution? On paper, the Demon Deacons have some nice pieces and parts, but, much like the offensive line, will another year of experience help this group improve?
There is definitely hope that the cornerbacks are a strength, what with junior Merrill “Bud” Noel and classmate Kevin Johnson returning. Noel (33 tackles, 3 pass breakups), a one-time FSU commitment, was the ACC Defensive Newcomer of the Year in 2010, but had a sophomore slump, partly due to injuries. While lacking ideal size, he has the instincts and speed to get back to his freshman form. Johnson (58 tackles, 3 interceptions, 15 passes defended) is a tall, athletic corner who was easily the team’s top cover guy last year. Although he made mistakes at times, he could form a great duo with Noel. Right now, sophomore Allen Ramsey II (8 tackles, 1 for loss, 1 int.) is the only other scholarship cornerback on the roster so depth is obviously shaky.
The safety spots feature one sure thing and one big question mark. The sure thing, at least to be a starter, is senior FS A.J. Marshall, one of the few four-star recruits on the roster. A former corner, Marshall (76 tackles, 3 for loss, 2 ints.) is a smart player with good athleticism. The big question is at strong safety where the top two players last year are gone. Senior Duran Lowe (28 tackles) has experience, but has been in the coaches’ doghouse and has never done much in his career except provide depth. Sophomore James Ward (19 tackles) started one game last year and has potential. It appears, though, that redshirt freshman Ryan Janvion may win the job after having a solid spring.
Special Teams: Kicker Jimmy Newman has graduated, but he was much better at kickoffs than making field goals. Sophomore Chad Hedlund took over last year and made all 3 field goals and 10 of 11 extra points. Classmate Alexander Kinal had an okay debut season, averaging 40.7 yards per punt. Lovell Jackson was an above average punt return man, but he graduated and no one on the roster stands out as a great replacement.
Schedule: The nonconference schedule (Presbyterian, UL-Monroe, at Army, at Vanderbilt) should yield three wins. That means Wake needs to find three ACC victories to go bowling again. Home dates with NC State, Maryland, and Duke are winnable, as are road trips to Boston College and Syracuse. Games against Clemson, FSU, and UM are almost assuredly losses.
Overall: It is hard to discount Jim Grobe because so many times people thought Wake would be bad and then they’d go out and win 8 games. Despite missing a bowl game last year, the 2011 Demon Deacons were much better than the 2010 version and that was with a bevy of injuries. If this unit can stay relatively injury-free, there seems a good chance Wake goes bowling again. The Deacs have a senior QB, two decent options at RB, a few talents at WR, and experience along the line. The defense should at least be solid along the line. The question will be how well the LB corps and secondary come together. I’m not totally sold on Wake because their overall roster is unimpressive talent-wise, but Grobe can coach, the schedule isn’t daunting, and they have several good upperclassmen that should provide talent and leadership. I think a 6-6 season is reasonable.