Wake Forest Demon Deacons
2013 Record: 4-8 (2-6 ACC)

OFFENSE

Scheme: Wake Forest fielded one of FBS’ worst offenses last year and certainly it was the worst offense of any member of one of the Big 5 conferences. The struggles on offense were a key factor in the dismal season and Jim Grobe’s decision to retire. To replace Grobe, Wake hired Dave Clawson to resurrect the program. Clawson has a great reputation for building programs, having worked minor miracles at Fordham, Richmond, and, most recently, Bowling Green, where he won the school’s first MAC title in twenty years last season (something even Urban Meyer didn’t accomplish in his time at BGSU). Beyond having a reputation as a program builder, Clawson also has a reputation as an astute offensive mind and that must have played a role in the decision to hire him.

Ever since his time at Richmond, Clawson has been running a spread offense (some may remember his one year as Phil Fulmer’s OC at Tennessee in 2008 when, while largely a failure, Clawson was one of the first OCs to bring the spread to the SEC). At BGSU last season, Clawson headed a spread that was very balanced between the run and the pass and was quite innovative in how it attacked defenses. He has a lack of talent to work with at Wake, but expect to see mostly 3 and 4 WR sets, play action, and some QB runs. Clawson believes in flexibility hinging on his personnel so expect him to play to whatever his roster’s strength is. And once the cupboard isn’t so bare, expect to see a true “spread” in that Clawson spreads the ball around. For example, last year at BGSU four different running backs and six different receivers got multiple touches per game. The goal is to not allow the defense to focus on any one player nor have any idea where the offense will attack.

Quarterbacks: Tanner Price was never a superstar, but he was experienced and often limited mistakes. I often the use the phrase “solid, if unspectacular” in these previews and Price pretty well encompasses that. Unfortunately for Wake, I’m not sure any of their current options would even qualify as solid. This is a worrisome unit.

Last year’s backup, sophomore Tyler Cameron, entered the offseason as the front-runner for the job, but had a disastrous spring, which opened the door for anyone else. Under Grobe, Cameron (85 yards, 29%, 3 interceptions) was often cited for his accuracy and confidence but that was lacking in spring ball and he needs to rediscover those traits to win the job. The coaching staff moved junior Kevin Sousa, a former Michigan commit, back to QB from WR and he was decent in the spring, flashing his quickness and running ability in the spring game. He needs to work on accuracy and mechanics, but if the season started today, he’d likely start. Many around the program, though, think that once the season does start either Travis Smith or John Wolford, both incoming freshmen, will get the nod. Even though Cameron and Sousa have the slight advantage of knowing the system a bit better, Smith and Wolford have the elusive “upside” and, frankly, this is going to be a rough year so it might be worthwhile to throw a freshman with better upside in the fire this year as it could pay off in the next few years. If a freshman gets the nod, the smart money is on Wolford, a slightly more polished passer than Smith.

Running Backs: The slide from the heights of the ACC title in 2006 has had a lot to do with this position (as well as the offensive line) as the Deacs haven’t been able to mount a decent rushing attack in a long time, partially due to injuries and a lack of talent and/or depth. The lack of depth could be an issue again this year.

The presumed starter is senior Orville Reynolds, who was utilized mainly as a WR last year and consequently only carried the ball 9 times while also making 12 receptions. Reynolds is small at just 5’9, 185, but he is shifty, agile, and quick. Still, his lack of size means the Deacs will need another guy or two to help share the load. The most likely candidates on the roster right now are sophomore Dominique Gibson and James Ward. Gibson (138 yds, 2.6 average, 87 receiving yards) was recruited as a linebacker, but moved last year to provide a power back and will likely play a similar role this year. He lacks much quickness, but he can move the pile. Ward was moved from the defensive backfield, but he did not do much in the spring. He could easily be passed up by true freshmen Isaiah Robinson and Tyler Henderson. Robinson seems more physically ready to play, but Henderson has speed and big-play ability that the others lack. Still, he needs to bulk up.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: Michael Campanaro and Spencer Bishop graduated and Sherman Ragland was booted from the team. With that trio’s departure, Wake lost 48% of last year’s receptions, 52% of its receiving yards, and 64% of its touchdown receptions. Granted, almost all of those numbers were accumulated by Campanaro, a once in a generation type player for a program like Wake’s, but losing three guys that produced is not easy to replace.

The Deacs have some hope in the form of several talented sophomores to build around so the coaches are cautiously optimistic about this unit. At WR, Tyree Harris (23 receptions, 225 yds) has size and athleticism and really came on late in the year. He is expected to be the go-to guy. Jared Crump (16 recs, 176 yds, TD) was impressive throughout spring practice and is a sure-fire starter. Jonathan Williams (17 recs, 221 yds) had 13 catches in the first three games but then disappeared, even with Campanaro injured in the latter half of the season. Williams is expected to be the #3 receiver so he needs to step up. John Armstrong (7 recs) has great speed but is still refining his technique and route running.

Wake Forest will also hope to get some production out of a trio of seniors, one a transfer and two who have not done much so far in their careers. Brandon Terry recorded just one catch last year, but has potential due to his size (6’5, 210) and blocking ability. Matt James broke his collarbone last year and was limited to four games, but he was back for spring practice and showed he should at least provide depth. E.J. Scott, a graduate transfer from Virginia, is expected to start in the slot. He only caught 32 passes in his entire career at UVA (and only 3 last year), but he has good speed and route-running ability. The fact he can waltz in and take a starting job shows how bereft this unit is of talent, though.

At tight end, the aforementioned Bishop was pretty solid and although Wake has plenty of bodies, none particularly stand out. Sophomore Zach Gordon had a solid spring and is the unquestioned starter. He’s a former three star recruit with good size and could develop into a decent one. Redshirt frosh Cam Serigne flashed good pass-catching ability but doesn’t look quite ready for extended action. Senior Jordan Garside will be an H-back, redshirt freshman Brendan O’Neil is a decent blocker, and junior Neil Basford moved over from OL to add more depth, but those guys may all be passed up by incoming freshman Devin Pike, who was a Louisville commitment at one point. Pike could stand to bulk up, but he has better talent than anyone besides Gordon.

Offensive Line: As mentioned earlier, Wake has struggled to run the ball consistently in recent seasons and this unit has been a key culprit, as one would expect. Injuries, recruiting misses, and a lack of talent have all played a role. The line was probably the worst in the ACC last year and two starters and a key reserve graduated so there are concerns here once again.

At tackle, Wake has three options in junior Dylan Intemann, classmate Hunter Goodwin, and senior Antonio Ford. As of now, it appears Intemann (15 career starts) will get the nod at RT over Ford and Goodwin (3 starts) will line up at LT. That could change depending on who starts at QB since Tyler Cameron is a lefty. Sophomore center Cory Helms started 11 times last year and looks like a keeper. He will be flanked by two classmates, with Ty Hayworth (7 starts) at left guard and Josh Harris (2 starts) on the right side. Depth will be provided by underclassmen, with two sophomores, two redshirt freshmen, and two incoming freshmen.

DEFENSE

Scheme: Lost amidst Wake’s rough season was the fact that the defense was quite solid, finishing 31st in total defense and 38th in scoring defense. Grobe used a pretty no-frills 3-4 that was based around bend-but-don’t break principles, zone coverage, minimizing big plays, and being strong in the red zone. The thought process was Wake would be outmanned but rather than blitzing and taking chances, they’d force teams to be patient and drive the field. For most seasons, the recipe worked.

Oddly enough, incoming DC Mike Elko used a similar recipe at Bowling Green and will utilize the same at Wake this season. The one change Elko brings is a change of formations as the Deacs are shifting to a 4-2-5 to highlight the talent they have in the secondary. The switch could be awkward (especially since Wake has a roster full of young LBs and only two starting spots) but I would expect this unit to be pretty good on a pretty bad team. It might be a bit more aggressive, but, at minimum, Elko hopes to utilize the speed and athleticism Wake has at LB and in the secondary.

Defensive Line: This appears to be the only weak link as Wake graduated NG Nikita Whitlock and DEs Zach Thompson and Kris Redding. Whitlock, who was extremely disruptive, and Thompson were especially good, combining for 30 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, and over 100 tackles. That kind of production will be nearly impossible to replace.

With a glut of LBs, Wake decided to move a few guys down to DE to help that unit. One, senior Zachary Allen, grabbed a starting spot immediately. He missed last year but produced as a freshman and sophomore so coaches have high hopes. Junior Desmond Floyd (11 tackles, 3 for loss, 1 sack) has good size and exited spring with a starting job. He didn’t really fit the 3-4 all that well but the coaches think he has the size and quickness to excel as a defensive end in this scheme. He’ll likely be pushed in August by true freshman Rashawn Shaw, a high three star recruit who was the gem of the class. Redshirt freshmen Duke Ejiofor and Wendell Dunn moved from OLB and senior Tylor Harris (10 tackles, 2 for loss, 1 sack) shifted over from DT to add depth, but I doubt any of those guys start this year. Incoming freshman Chris Stewart will be given a look, but he likely needs to redshirt.

Defensive tackle is a problem area, not only because Whitlock was a talent but also because the scheme is shifting from using one DT/NG to using two interior players. The previous coaching staff was not recruiting as many bodies on the interior as this scheme requires so there will be some growing pains here. At the end of spring ball sophomore Josh Banks (13 tackles, 2 for loss, 1 sack) and senior Johnny Garcia, who has just 3 career tackles, were penciled in as the starters. Banks has a good first step but is a bit undersized. Garcia also isn’t real big at 260 pounds and honestly seems like he’s only starting due to a lack of options. The move of Harris to DE is somewhat puzzling because the only other DT on the roster right now is Shelldon Lewison, an undersized (seeing a theme here?) sophomore who redshirted in 2012 and didn’t see the field last year. That means that incoming freshmen Zeek Rodney and Willie Yarbary will surely have to play right away. It also means that there could be further player position switches come August (I’d be shocked if Harris doesn’t move back). Either way, DT looks really, really weak.

Linebackers: Wake annually seems to have a few under the radar talents here and this year is no exception. Junior Brandon Chubb (88 tackles, 3 for loss, 1 interception) was just a two star recruit but has been productive and will be vital not only for his experience, but also his size. Sophomore Marquel Lee (14 tackles) is undersized at 215 pounds, but the coaches like his range, speed, and athleticism and think he can hold up against the run or pass. He can be a three-down player whereas most assume Chubb is just a two-down guy. When Chubb needs a break, expect sophomore Teddy Matthews (20 tackles) to come in. He got his feet wet last year and the coaching staff really likes him.

Although a few guys have moved down to DE, Wake has pretty good depth here. Junior Hunter Williams (39 tackles, 2.5 for loss) provides experience, but the coaches are really high on youngsters Steve Donatell, Lance Virgile, Ali Lamot, Julian Thomas-Jackson, and incoming freshman Jaboree Williams.

Secondary: The Demon Deacons have plenty of young bodies at LB, but the most experienced and talented and deepest unit is here. Wake has three candidates for postseason honors and return nine players who got game experience last year.

The strongest unit in terms of both numbers and talent is CB. Seniors Kevin Johnson and Merrill Noel are both All-ACC candidates and are fringe NFL players. Johnson (58 tackles, 12 pass breakups, 3 ints) has the better size while Noel (53 tackles, 2.5 for loss, 6 pass breakups, 3 ints) is probably the best overall athlete, but both are aggressive, active playmakers. The Deacs have enviable depth here too with junior Allen Ramsey (20 tackles) and sophomores Brad Watson, Deonte Davis, and Jalen Latter, who all received playing time last year. Redshirt freshman Josh Okonye will be added to the mix, but playing time will be hard to come by.

The Deacs have less depth at safety with just three guys listed as safeties on the roster, but at least the trio are all pretty good. Sophomore Ryan Janvion (95 tackles, 2.5 for loss) is the headliner of the group after leading the team in tackles last year. Senior Anthony Wooding, Jr. (36 tackles) is solid at the other spot, but isn’t going to make many big plays. Sophomore Thomas Brown (13 tackles) was the star of the spring game and has nice size (6’3, 215). Right now he is penciled in as the backup to both Janvion and Wooding and should see the field often. As of now, the aforementioned Hunter Williams is penciled in as the hybrid S/LB but he doesn’t seem to have the athleticism for the position and I wouldn’t be shocked of Brown steals the job and some of the CBs assist as backup safeties.

Special Teams: No pun intended, but this unit is not special (okay, maybe a slight pun was intended). Kicker Chad Hedlund (8 of 12 FGs) doesn’t have much range and has been a liability on kickoffs. Punter Alex Kinal (39.7 average) is pretty average, although he does force a decent amount of fair catches. The return units were mediocre and that was with Campanaro returning punts. Wake does not have great depth, which can typically mean problems on coverage units.

Schedule: The only two wins on the schedule that jump out at you are non-conference games against Gardner-Webb and Army. The other two non-conference contests, road dates at UL-Monroe in the opener and Utah State, will be tough. The conference schedule is pretty brutal, what with road games against Louisville and FSU the first two ACC contests. Wake gets Clemson, Syracuse, BC, and Virginia Tech at home but must travel to rivals NC State and Duke.

Overall: I think Clawson is a pretty good coach, but he’s inherited a mess. Jim Grobe was a very good coach, but in retrospect Wake Forest’s success in the mid-2000s came during a time when Wake had a few legit NFL talents and some other ACC schools (notably FSU, UM, and Clemson) were pretty average. To their credit, Wake took advantage, but the ACC was arguably much weaker than it is now. I’m not trying to take anything away from Grobe’s run because it was pretty amazing, but Clawson enters when Wake has significantly less talent, especially on offense, and some of the teams that were struggling a few years ago (again, FSU and Clemson) are now brimming with talent and steamrolling opponents.

Wake Forest will be the worst team in the ACC and probably one of the twenty worst teams in the FBS this year. They have some nice pieces and parts in the secondary and at LB, but the defensive line looks shaky. But the defense is almost alone because the offense is a dumpster fire. The QBs are inexperienced and, frankly, not that talented. Reynolds could be decent at RB, but at least one other guy needs to emerge to help him out and none of the backups look anything more than average. The WR corps has potential but the loss of Campanaro cannot be overstated. Consider this: Camp missed the final four games last year and still had 44 more receptions, 578 more receiving yards, and 4 more receiving touchdowns than any other WR on the roster. Camp averaged 100.4 receiving yards per game; the next closest guy averaged 28.1. Furthermore, Camp averaged 107.8 all-purpose yards per game. Reynolds is the leading returner and he averaged just 30 yards per game last year. Clawson wants to spread the ball around and that should help alleviate the loss a bit, but the guy will be missed. Making things worse is the fact the offensive line doesn’t inspire much confidence. They were the worst unit in the conference last year and have to replace three contributors. Maybe it is addition by subtraction but I’m not sure about that.

There is enough parity in college football that Wake might spring a minor upset or two by beating UL-Monroe, Utah State, NC State, Boston College, or Syracuse but I can’t see this team doing better than 4-8. Clawson will earn his paycheck because this is going to be a long process. Honestly, I think Wake Forest fans may also have to temper their expectations. The magical run to the ACC title in 2006 and the upset wins over the FSU’s and Clemson’s of the conference made Deacon fans expect a contender year-in and year-out, but I think it would be more realistic to hope Clawson can get this program to 6-8 wins a year and constant bowl eligibility. However, that isn’t happening anytime soon.