Wake Forest Football: 2024 Preview, Best Players, Top Transfers, Season Prediction, Win Total

Wake Forest College Football Preview 2024

Oh great.

For YEARS I kept predicting Wake Forest would struggle - lack of overall talent, tough schedule, too many holes, etc. And for years a slew of Demon Deacon fans would rip me up for the lack of respect.

(And it was truly fun. I take guff from every fan base at some point, but if the Wake Forest types want to have at it and get all puffy-chested, all good.)

I finally start to give a little love and give last year’s team the benefit of the doubt - even if there were screaming red flags - and what do I get?

A 4-8 record, no offense, a horrible season from the line, and a whole lot of problems with injuries and ineffectiveness.

This season’s teams has just as many problems and concerns.

Can that offensive line be far better? Can the thin skill spots do more? Can the team find the magic that led to six winning seasons in seven year - 2020 the acceptable outlier - under head coach Dave Clawson?

The schedule is nice enough, there’s a good base returning, and …

For a program with just 39 winning seasons in 116 years of college football, go get more wins and give this group of fans more fun.

Wake Forest Football Preview 2024: Offense

- The offense lost its mojo. Sam Hartman went off to Notre Dame, the quarterback play was never quite right because the offensive line let just about everyone through to pound the passer, and the rushing attack was among the ACC’s worst.

The Demon Deacons went from winning 11 games and scoring 574 points in 2021, to scoring 469 points in 2022, to coming up with a mere 243 points last season with a bulk of those coming in the first three games.

It’s not like longtime offensive coordinator Warren Ruggiero forgot how to coach, and it’s not like Dave Clawson can’t get a passing game going anymore.

But first the offensive front has to be far, far better. It has a good left tackle in DeVonte Gordon, but rest of the front five full of upperclassmen have to give the backfield time work because …

- The parts are there. It starts by hoping transfer Hank Bachmeier can stay in one piece and be the type of downfield bomber to get the fun going again.

The Demon Deacons regularly averaged over 14 yards per completion over the years, but last season they couldn’t get going averaging just 12.21.

Bachmeier started at Boise State, went to Louisiana Tech, and now the pressure is on him - or senior Michael Kern - to make the O go.

It doesn’t help to lose leading receiver Jahmal Banks to Nebraska, or Ke’Shawn Williams to Indiana, or Wesley Grimes to NC State. Those were three of the top four targets, but Taylor Morin is a good veteran for the slot and TE Cameron Hite should get more work his way.

- Justin Ellison is gone to Indiana - he led the team in rushing in 2022 - but Demond Claiborne is back after running for 586 yards and five scores behind that leaky line. Tate Carney is a decent-looking back who average five yards per pop last year.

Wake Forest Football Preview 2024: Defense

- The defense wasn’t all that bad. It wasn’t a rock, but that’s Wake Forest - it’s good at holding serve on that side of the ball if the offense is doing its part. This year the D might actually be a plus, at least on the line.

Jasheen Davis is one of the ACC’s leading pass rushers with 7.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss last season. He’s great on one side, Kendron Wayman is a decent veteran on the other, and Kevin Pointer and Bryce Gainous are tough fighters on the inside. It’s one of the team’s better areas of depth, too.

- What Davis is to the line, Dylan Hazen is to the middle of the linebacking corps. He made a team-high 86 tackles with 8.5 tackles for loss as a great-range do-it-all playmaker. Branson Combs from Southern Illinois was a strong get who’ll crank up the stats - the fifth-year senior can move.

- Can the secondary make more big things happen? Getting Capone Blue from Kent State at one corner matters - he broke up 11 passes last year - with several lost parts . The safeties have to rise up - Nick Anderson and Evan Slouch go from good rotational players to key starters.

Key To The Wake Forest Football Season

You mean, besides pass protection?

The 2020 Wake Forest offensive line allowed an average of three sacks per game. Not great, but not as good as the 2021 line that gave up 2.57 per outing. Also not good, but better than the 2.92 allowed in 2022.

That was the cost of doing business for an offense that loves to get the ball down the field.

The 2023 Wake Forest offensive line allowed 4.08 sacks per game and 91 tackles for loss on the year. Nothing changes unless the front five is better, so …

Wake Forest Key Player

Erik Russell, OT Jr.
Let’s just put this on the whole offensive line. DeVonte Gordon is good at left tackle, and now the 6-9, 301-pound Russell has to go from being a decent spot starter to a steady main man. It’s hardly all on him, but if he’s good, Wake Forest can build off the tackles.

Wake Forest Football Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss

Top Transfer In: Hank Bachmeier, QB Sr.
He looked great from the start at Boise State, but he got dinged up and was never able to quite get rolling like it looked like he would. He threw for over 6,600 yards in his four seasons with 41 touchdowns, but he was always hurt, or there was another option getting a shot.

Last year at Louisiana Tech he hit his throws, but the team was awful. Now he gets a shot to shine in his sixth season, and he should be fine if the line gives him time.

Top Transfer Out: Jahmal Banks, WR Sr.
The offense needs more big-play parts, and Banks was one of the team’s best receivers. He caught 101 over the last two seasons with 13 touchdowns averaging over 13 yards per catch. Now he’ll be a big, key part of the Nebraska attack.

Wake Forest Key Game

Virginia, Sept. 7
The Demon Deacons started 3-0 last year and it didn’t mean too much. This year, it should be 1-0 after facing North Carolina A&T, and then comes the ACC opener against the Cavaliers.

There are plenty of winnable games left on the slate - getting to six victories isn’t asking for the world - but that will be tough without this home win.

10 Best Wake Forest Football Players

1. Jasheen Davis, DE Sr.
2. Kevin Pointer, DT Sr.
3. Dylan Hazen, LB Jr.
4. Hank Bachmeier, QB Sr.
5. DeVonte Gordon, OT Sr.
6. Demond Claiborne, RB Jr.
7. Capone Blue, CB Sr.
8. Taylor Morin, WR Jr.
9. Bryce Ganious, DT Sr.
10. Brandon Combs, LB Sr.

Wake Forest 2023 Fun Stats

- Sacks: Opponents 49 for 276 yards, Wake Forest 23 for 137 yards

- Opponent 1st Quarter Scoring: 45, Opponent 2nd Quarter Scoring: 137

- Penalties: Opponents 80 for 756 yards, Wake Forest, 49 for 466 yards

Wake Forest Football 2024 Win Total Prediction: What to Expect This Season

The team isn’t all that great, and it has a whole lot of questions and concerns, but the schedule should be nice enough to get back in the bowl mix.

There will be a few forget-about-it moments against teams like Ole Miss, and likely on the road at NC State, but it the O line can come together there’s a shot at coming up with a few interesting away wins.

The team doesn’t leave Winston-Salem until October, but it comes at a cost - five games in seven are on the road. At NC State, Clemson, at UConn, at Stanford - there’s a lot of flying time in the midsection of the season.

But there’s a funky part about this, too - the team only leaves North Carolina once in November. In fact, it only leaves the home state three times.

Even so, with a week off before getting Cal, and with Duke at home to close things out, there are more than enough winnable gets to get to six.

Set The Wake Forest Win Total At … 5

Likely Wins: North Carolina A&T

50/50 Games: Cal, Duke, Louisiana, at North Carolina, at Stanford, at UConn, Virginia

Likely Losses: Clemson, at Miami, at NC State, Ole Miss

2024 Wake Forest Football Schedule

Aug 29 North Carolina A&T
Sept 7 Virginia
Sept 14 Ole Miss
Sept 21 OPEN DATE
Sept 28 Louisiana
Oct 5 at NC State
Oct 12 Clemson
Oct 19 at UConn
Oct 26 at Stanford
Nov 2 OPEN DATE
Nov 8 Cal
Nov 16 at North Carolina
Nov 23 at Miami
Nov 30 Duke

Missing: Boston College, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Louisville, Pitt, SMU, Syracuse, Virginia Tech

Related: College Football Preview 2024: CFN 134 Team Previews, Rankings, Top Players, Win Totals & Schedules