Wake Forest aims for strong follow-up to a 9-win debut season under Jake Dickert

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — 2025 record: 9-4

Little was expected from Wake Forest for Jake Dickert's debut season, with the Demon Deacons picked to finish next-to-last in the 17-team ACC. Instead, the former Washington State coach showed a deft touch in bringing along the roster in what became a nine-win season that ended with a bowl win against Mississippi State.

Last year's offense was built around running back Demond Claiborne, but the unit will adjust with new personnel for second-year coordinator Rob Ezell. The defense, however, has experience. Wake Forest has 60 returnees and roughly 50 new players.

“The one thing I’ve told the team that I can’t recreate is last year’s hunger,” Dickert said.

The Demon Deacons are picked to finish 13th in the ACC this year and face a tough league slate. The headliner is a visit from preseason favorite Miami (Sept. 18), while Wake Forest plays six teams picked to finish in the top seven of the league race.

Wake Forest's defense led the way last season, with the Demon Deacons ranking 26th in the Bowl Subdivision ranks in total defense (328.5 yards) and 44th in scoring (22.1). There's enough returning talent to make that a potential strength this fall.

Defensive lineman Langston Hardy is back after tallying seven sacks while standing as one of 12 players in FBS to tally at least 17 tackles for loss. There's experience at linebacker with the return of every-game starter Aiden Hall (third on the team with 73 tackles) and Frank Cusano (45).

And the secondary features No. 2 tackler Davaughn Patterson (80) along with seven-game starter Travon West.

“Really at the end of the season after the bowl game, we were kind of all sitting in the locker room looking at each other and realized, like, how good of a group we’re going to have coming back next year,” Hardy said.

With Claiborne on to the NFL, the offense will run with Ezell working with North Carolina transfer quarterback Gio Lopez , who spent one season under Bill Belichick with the Tar Heels. Lopez threw for 2,559 yards and 18 touchdowns while also proving to be a running threat (465 yards, seven TDs) in his last season under Ezell at South Alabama.

Lopez wasn't nearly as effective at UNC, though Dickert said Lopez's arrival allows the coaches to “take a really big step closer to our ideal" after tailoring last year's approach to match the skillset of Claiborne and the offensive line.

“I believe in the best version of Gio Lopez, period,” he said. “We can recreate that.”

Yet there's plenty of change beyond that, from a shuffled offensive line, a reworked running back room and flux at receiver beyond returnee Carlos Hernandez (team-high 611 yards).

QB Gio Lopez (transfer from UNC), WR Antonio Meeks (transfer from Louisville), TE Landon Morris (transfer from California), LB/S Vincent Firenze (transfer from Dayton), DB Deuce Blades II (transfer from Florida International).

RB Demond Claiborne (NFL draft pick), WR Sterling Berkhalter (transferred to Texas), OL Melvin Siani (transferred to Texas), DB Nick Andersen, DB Karon Prunty (NFL draft pick).

Vs. Miami (Sept. 18), at N.C. State (Oct. 10), vs. Virginia (Oct. 31), vs. Duke (Nov. 28).

AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football