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Nov 15, 2025; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons linebacker Langston Hardy (11) reacts after a play against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wake Forest Athletics via Imagn Images | Wake Forest Athletics via Imagn Images
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons football program has ebbed and flowed over the past 30 years. Since the 70’s Winston-Salem has been a place for some elite coaches: John Mackovic before Illinois and Texas, AlGroh before the NFL and a Super Bowl ring, BillDooley, JimCaldwell before two Super Bowl rings, and solid runs from JimGrobe (ACC Championship in 2006) and Dave Clawson.
After Clawson and the slow-mesh Clawfense played in seven straight bowl games the program slumped to back-to-back 4-8 seasons before his retirement. Insert JakeDickert into the Wake Forest program. Dickert, the former head coach at Washington State, is more of a defensive and special teams minded head coach who follows Clawson an offensive innovator. In year one Dickert finished with nine wins.
Now let’s put the Demon Deacons through The Goal, our 2026 Summer Scheming analysis system.
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Throughput
Acquisition: The Dekes are towards the bottom of the P4 in freshmen recruiting at 51st over the past three seasons. Wake Forest is also 75th in transfer portal recruiting so the cupboard isn’t bare but it isn’t promising either. Wake’s average class is 63rd.
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Development: Wake Forest has never been an NFL prospect factory but seven players over the past three NFL Draft classes just won’t cut it to get over the hump and back into the ACC Championship Game as Boston College has 13 players in the league from the past couple of years.
Deployment: This preseason Bill Connelly’s SP+ has Wake as the 58th ranked team overall, so they’re expected to outperform their talent. The Dekes are 83rd on offense, 31st on defense, and 78th in kicking per the SP+. A defensive HC fixing the defense first makes sense. But in order to level up to an ACC competitor the offense needs work.
Bottleneck
OC RobEzell brought in QB Gio Lopez. Ezell, a former Alabama QB and assistant, also spent time as the South Alabama OC and coached Lopez before Ezell wound up at Wazzu and Lopez at UNC. Lopez scored 13 TD’s with five INT’s under BillBelichick’s offense. Lopez’s yards per pass attempt dropped from 8.2 to 6.7 with a move up to the ACC.
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Strength of Schedule shouldn’t be an issue for the Deacons as they’re only 57th of 138 in FBS per CFB News. Miami actually gets Wake after Purdue and before Louisville, so Louisville should have the advantage there over say- Miami. The ‘Canes will face FAMU prior to Wake.
Inventory
The inventory space includes returning production per Bill Connelly, the On3 top-100 list and the Athlon preseason All-Conference Team honorees. Wake’s returning production is 62nd in all of FBS per Bill Connelly. WF returns 53% of their ’25 production. That can be good and bad depending on how you look at it.
Wake only brought in two new starters on a good defense. That makes sense. On offense they brought in six new probable starters to the offense including Lopez. WF does not have a player on the On3 top-100 list nor an Athlon All-ACC preseason player.
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WR Carlos Hernandez returns for the Dekes after averaging 15.3 yards per catch with three scores in ‘25. Bringing in a pair of former P4 WR’s and three OL should help bolster the starting 11 on offense.
On defense LangstonHardy is back as an edge rusher. Last season Hardy logged 17 TFL’s and seven sacks in their 4-2-5 defense. DavaughnPatterson returns off of four TFL’s and nine PBU’s to man the nickel position. Like Miami prior to ‘25, Wake brought in DB’s to strengthen that room. Deuce Blades II and Bernard Causey bring a combined 10 PBU’s through the portal.
Operating Expense
The Operating Expense category will be determined by the amount of money paid per win. Private school salaries are hard to find but reports show Dickert making $4.8M per season. After nine wins in year one Dickert and the Dekes average $543K per win. Only Central Michigan and Duke are getting a bigger bang for their buck on the ‘Canes schedule in 2026.
The Goal
I would tell you that Wake Forest shouldn’t compete for the ACC Championship but they shouldn’t have in 2006 or 2021 either. If Wake can catch Miami on a weird Friday night road game to sleepy Winston-Salem they’ll have a solid path to Charlotte.
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A tough final three games could derail an 8-1 or 7-2 start (Louisville and UVA being the toughest opponents outside of Miami). The Dekes final three games are road games against SMU and Georgia Tech before hosting Duke for the finale.
Season Prediction: Wake Forest will have a solid season and I can see them finishing 7-5. Ezell and Lopez are the keys to make a push against three ranked opponents and Dickert has to have a full team instead of a half squad like in ‘25.
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