Latest news with #JakeDickert
Miami Herald
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Wake Forest Football Preview 2025: Jake Dickert Will Prove the Demon Deacons Can Win
As SMU proved last year, and as Duke showed over the last three years, you don't have to be Clemson, Florida State, or Miami to win in the Wake Forest showed in the 11-win 2021 that it was possible to win big. And under Dave Clausen, the program showed that going to a bowl game isn't just possible, it should be a it's easy to underestimate the Demon Deacons. X CFN, Fiu | CFN Facebook | Bluesky Fiu, CFNWake Forest Offense BreakdownWake Forest Defense BreakdownSeason Prediction, Win Total, Keys to SeasonThey don't get the talent that most of the ACC schools can land, and it takes a combination of the right schedule, the right schemes, and the right breaks to pull off winning campaigns. And that's where new head coach Jake Dickert comes into the fire in 2021 at Washington State following the parting of ways with Nick Rolovich, Dickert wasn't amazing, but he kept the program afloat with three bowl appearances in four years. It helped that he was able to get Cam Ward through the transfer portal, and then John Mateer, but for a guy who spent his career as a top defensive assistant, his teams crank up the one of those coaches who knows how to get wins, but his Cougars collapsed late last season and closed 1-7 in 2023. Don't worry about Demon Deacons have the right schedule and the right schemes, and they should have the right coach to prove that it's possible to win lots of football games again. Wake Forest Offense BreakdownWake Forest Defense BreakdownSeason Prediction, Win Total, Keys to Season © 2025 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
Miami Herald
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Wake Forest Football Preview 2025: Demon Deacons Season Prediction, Win Total Projection, Top Players
Wake Forest Demon Deacons Key to the Season Stop someone from completing forward Wake Forest pass defense was among the worst in the nation, and only Mississippi State allowed more completed passes. The Bulldogs allowed teams to hit 70.4% of their throws, and the Demon Deacons allowed 70.3%.Wake Forest went 3-1 when teams completed 66% or fewer, and was 1-7 when allowing more. Wake Forest Demon Deacons Key Player Melvin Siani, OT skill parts are good - one of the two quarterback options will step up. None of it matters if the offensive front doesn't keep defenses out of the backfield. Out of all the new parts from the portal, the 6-6, 302-pound Siani from Temple needs to rise up into a starting role at one of the jobs. If he's terrific, the tackles will be a plus, because … Wake Forest Demon Deacons Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss Top Transfer In: Fa'alili Fa'amoe, OT of the best offensive tackles in the portal, the 6-5, 317-pound senior could've gone anywhere. The former Washington State star followed his coach, Jake Dickert, to Winston-Salem and should lock into one of the tackle Transfer Out: Luke Petitbon, C with the offensive line, it wasn't good last year, but some decent parts moved on. The 6-2, 295-pound Petitbon is a veteran center who quarterbacked the front, and now he's handling the gig at Florida State. Wake Forest Demon Deacons Key Game Georgia Tech, Sept. 27Wake Forest won the 2006 ACC Championship 9-6 over Georgia Tech. Since then, the two teams have only played four times, and the Yellow Jackets won all Forest doesn't leave home in September, and then come the road games. At worst, the Demon Deacons will be 2-2. If they beat NC State, this is a shot at the first 4-0 start since 2021.- 2025 Wake Forest Schedule Breakdown Wake Forest Demon Deacons Top 10 Players 1. Nick Andersen, S Sr.2. Dylan Hazen, LB Sr.3. Demond Claiborne, RB Sr.4. Fa'alili Fa'amoe, OT Sr.5. Gabe Kirschke, EDGE Jr.6. Davaughn Patterson, S Soph.7. Quincy Bryant, LB Sr.8. Carlos Hernandez, WR Jr.9. Robby Ashford, QB Sr.10. Matthew Dennis, PK Sr. Wake Forest Demon Deacons 2024 Fun Stats - 4th Quarter Scoring: Opponents 117, Wake Forest 56 - Sacks: Opponents 42 for 227 yards, Wake Forest 20 for 124 yards - 4th Down Conversions: Opponents 10-of-14 (71%), Wake Forest 16-of-25 (64%) Wake Forest Demon Deacons 2025 Season Prediction, Win Total, What Will Happen The Demon Deacons have a decent enough schedule to get back to a bowl don't deal with Clemson, and don't have to face Miami or Louisville. The tough dates against Georgia Tech, NC State, and SMU are at home, and overall, they only leave North Carolina four plenty of work to do, and there's a long trip to Oregon State right in the middle of the season, but Jake Dickert, thanks to his time at Wazzu, certainly knows how to deal with the Beavers. There are three wins - Delaware, Kennesaw State, and Western Carolina - to form a nice base, and while it won't be easy, they should be alive for a bowl game deep into The Wake Forest Win Total At … 5Likely Wins: Delaware, Kennesaw State, Western Carolina50/50 Games: at Duke, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, NC State, at Oregon State, SMU, at Virginia, at Virginia TechLikely Losses: at Florida State 2025 Wake Forest PreviewWake Forest Offense BreakdownWake Forest Defense Breakdown © 2025 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Wake Forest Demon Deacons celebrate Victory Day alongside Greater Winston-Salem Down Syndrome Association
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (WGHP) — The Wake Forest football team welcomed in some very special teammates for Victory Day, a day they'll never forget. 'Kids love it,' Defensive Back Rushaun Tongue said. 'I've heard from some parents that it's their favorite day of the year, so I'm glad to be a part of something special, something that's bigger than me. Something that is bigger than the program.' Burlington debuts new pickleball complex The Demon Deacons partnered with the Greater Winston-Salem Down Syndrome Association, giving children and young adults with special needs a day to celebrate their individual achievements and encourage a new perspective on the significance of a strong community. Wake Forest Running Back Demond Claiborne said, 'Being in this position and being somebody who can come out, be around these kids and share my light is something that I live for. This event is amazing and the community that's involved with this is amazing.' Victory Day not only means a lot for the players, participants and their families, but it holds a special meaning for first year Head Coach Jake Dickert as well. 'It is personal to me too,' the coach said. 'My niece has Down Syndrome. We're going to get her out here next year and she's going to experience this. It's special. Every kid deserves a tremendous opportunity like this to have fun, to celebrate and to be a Demon Deacon. It just means a lot to me.' With the season right around the corner, the Demon Deacons are starting the season 1-0 with their most important victory already behind them. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Times
12-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Jake Dickert, Southerner? Wake Forest's new coach embracing his recruiting base
Jake Dickert had never stepped foot in the state of North Carolina before he started the process of becoming the 33rd football coach at Wake Forest. He'd never worked in the Southeast either, having started his coaching career in the Midwest before making his way out to Wyoming and, most recently, Washington State. Advertisement So when the 41-year-old Dickert arrived in Winston-Salem in December 2024, he had some learning to do about life as a Southerner. Nearly three months later, he's settling in like a true North Carolinian who loves Bojangles, is always looking for new barbecue spots and is pumped to have just the place when he's craving a sweet treat. I will get to them all but great start at Lexington BBQ!!#GoDeacs — Jake Dickert (@CoachDickert) January 30, 2025 'I've had more Krispy Kreme than you could ever imagine. I'm a big fan. A big, big fan,' Dickert said of the doughnut franchise, which was founded in Winston-Salem in 1937. 'My youngest, Jace, that dude gets a Krispy Kreme in front of him, look out. We had to do that right away.' But for as much fun as Dickert is having exploring the culinary scene in his new state, there's a job to be done as he transitions to the ACC after three-plus years as the head coach at Washington State. Recruiting at Wake Forest has often been viewed as a challenge, considering the school's small size, rigorous academic standards and proximity to competitors as one of four ACC schools in the state. Dickert doesn't see it that way. 'Doing your recruiting research, you're dropped into a hotbed of high school football, so that piece has always been exciting,' he said. 'You can just see that they take football very seriously and you've got a bunch of great ball coaches. 'I think it's going to start in-state. (But I've) been at places where five-hour radiuses have been zero population. Here, good lord. Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Atlanta, almost Nashville, Richmond, D.C. — it's just completely different than our past experiences. To be able to get a little easy windshield time, get a bag of sunflower seeds (and hit the road) — I'm ready to go.' Advertisement Dickert, hired on Dec. 18 to replace Dave Clawson, got a late start and had just five days in the quiet period of the recruiting calendar before the dead period hit. It wasn't until off-campus recruiting opened back up on Jan. 6 that he was able to visit prospects. By that time, the majority of recruits in Wake Forest's 2025 class — which ranked No. 62 nationally — had already signed under the previous staff in early December. So while most college football coaches used that time to turn their attention toward Class of 2026 players, Dickert tweaked his plan to prioritize meeting the incoming players in the 2025 recruiting class. Jerron Blackwell, a three-star prospect from nearby Greensboro who was a Clawson signee, didn't know much about Dickert before his new coach stopped by for an in-home visit. He was impressed. 'It was crazy,' Blackwell said. 'That love, he picked it right up. He came to my house, to my aunt's house, had a face-to-face. It was me, him. He just came by himself. That was really crazy, too. Just seeing him taking time out, making sure everybody's doing well and keeping the spirits high between the recruits, knowing that the coach that was recruiting them is no longer there, I feel like that was probably the best thing he could have done for this new recruiting class and making us feel comfortable and wanted there. 'He was just very engaged and curious — it was just his vibe. He had a good vibe. He's energetic.' Dickert was attracted to the Wake Forest job because of the school's willingness to invest to the max of the impending revenue-sharing cap. But challenges will remain. Wake Forest has the smallest enrollment among Power 4 schools and doesn't have the national brand of some of its competitors in the ACC, particularly Clemson and Florida State. Advertisement Clawson thrived as a teacher and talent evaluator — especially at the quarterback position. Dickert, too, knows a thing or two about diamonds in the rough. John Mateer, his starting quarterback at Washington State in 2024, was a three-star prospect from Texas who ranked in the 1,700s in the Class of 2022. After two years in a reserve role, Mateer last season was the only quarterback in the nation to top 3,000 yards passing and 800 yards rushing. He transferred to Oklahoma in the offseason and will be the Sooners' starter in 2025. 'Smart, driven, high-academic student-athletes are everywhere in this country,' Dickert said. 'You've just got to go find them. I'm a big believer in that. 'Here at Wake Forest, we do believe that we can develop players — and more importantly, we have to. This will never be a four- or five-star place. The quarterback position will be a premium because when you find and develop that guy. The rest of your team succeeds because you're investing in a lot of different positions. So we'll find those guys.' Wake Forest is one of five Power 4 programs that don't have a commit in the 2026 cycle. Once spring practice concludes in mid-April, coaches will hit the road looking to change that. In retaining Russ Kieselhorst, Cory Martin and Katie Bason from Clawson's support staff — all of whom worked in recruiting and or personnel — Dickert will have plenty of help when it comes to making inroads in and around North Carolina. Kieselhost is now the assistant general manager, Martin is the executive director of scouting and Bason is the director of player personnel. 'I think people have seen obstacles here at Wake Forest before; we see opportunity,' Dickert said. 'I think it's just a fresh look at what we have here, where we're going and how we can build it out. There's no shortcut to success. There just isn't. Even in today's world, at a place like Wake, you've got to build it the right way. You've got to survive the ebbs and flows. But making sure you're launching it the right way has been our focus, so we'll continue to build those relationships as we go.' Advertisement Three-star offensive tackle signee Aidan Martin, out of Denver, has no doubt Dickert will be just fine when it comes to forming bonds with high school prospects. Martin signed with Washington State in December but was granted a release following Dickert's departure. The more he explored his options as he re-opened his recruitment, the more he felt like Wake Forest would be a nice fit. So he reached out to Dickert and the staff to see if he could follow them to Winston-Salem, where he'll enroll this spring after signing with the program last month. 'If I ever need anything from him, I know I can go talk to him,' Martin said of Dickert. 'You see what he did at Washington State. I know what he's capable of. 'I think we'll be a great team and I know he's a person that can get us there. He just makes me excited. I'm just really happy to be a part of this.' (Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics)
