Wake Forest Football

The Wake Forest football program has an impressive history. Wake Forest played its first college football game in North Carolina in 1888, beating the University of North Carolina. Since then, they’ve become rivals. Wake Forest’s first game was also its only one that season. However, Wake Forest has maintained a competitive edge on the field over the years. In 1970 and 2006, the team won the conference championship. In 2006, they even competed in the Orange Bowl against the University of Louisville.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons Schedule 2022

Emeka Emezie

In the aftermath of a fumble against N.C. State, Wake Forest wide receiver Emeka Emezie is taking the initiative to make amends. This year, Emezie has a rematch against the Demon Deacons. Despite this setback, Emezie is eager to continue to grow and improve. He’s been working in the offseason with teammates like Kelvin Harmon and Louis to develop his skills.

In college, Emezie showed off his ability to dominate in the red zone. Though he won’t blow anyone away with his athleticism or his speed, he can take down defenders in the air with ease. His ability to high-point the football makes him a valuable playmaker between the 20s for the right offense. He isn’t a quick twitch athlete, but his body control and ball security makes up for it.

While Emezie is expected to be back for the start of the season against Mississippi State, he won’t be ready to play the entire season. The Wolfpack won’t rush Emezie, but the team hopes to have him available for Week 1. As of now, his status is questionable, and the rehab process continues, the Wofpack will continue to monitor his progress. Emezie is a senior and is coming off his best season to date. He had 47 receptions for 738 yards and five touchdowns last year, but that was not enough.

The game was wild. The Wolfpack led 14-0 at one point, but the Tar Heels rallied to win by three touchdowns. Despite the deficit, Emezie and his teammates were able to overcome the nine-point deficit in the final 2:12 and come away with a 34-29 victory over the Tar Heels. Emezie’s performance was one of the key moments in the ACC title game.

Nick Anderson

Wake Forest defensive back Nick Andersen had an outstanding freshman season. In a 23-16 win over Virginia Tech, the walk-on made three interceptions and finished with a team-high 11 tackles. Coach Dave Clawson lauded the defensive back’s performance and praised his effort. The team’s defense forced several turnovers and sacked Virginia Tech quarterback Josh Johnson twice in a row.

Andersen was listed as a co-starter on the pre-game depth chart and was an impressive force against the Cavaliers. He is a very efficient free-throw shooter and has made 33 tackles through five games. Anderson, who grew up in Clifton, Virginia, has had a great start to his college career. He helped his basketball team to a state championship and played some football for the Centreville Tigers, as well as basketball for the school. He was also a key fill-in for a key player on the team and has made the most of his opportunities.

In high school, Anderson was barely recruited. He received scholarship offers from New Hampshire, Butler, and Columbia. He first connected with Wake when he attended a camp run by Wake’s coach, David Clawson, two summers ago. After attending Wake’s win over North Carolina, he sealed the deal. His name is now etched in the national memory. He has become a national celebrity thanks to this success.

The Wake Forest secondary is led by Nick Anderson, who has earned a third-team All-ACC nod. In addition to Anderson, the Demon Deacons also have Ja’Sir Taylor and Caelen Carson at outside corner. The safety position will be bolstered by Zion Keith. Despite the lackluster depth at the position, Wake Forest will have to improve on every level. And it will be a huge improvement if they can improve on all three levels.

J.J. Roberts

Former Cabell Midland standout J.J. Roberts is headed to Wake Forest to play college football. Roberts is a defensive back who was named the 2020 Gatorade West Virginia Player of the Year. He was a three star recruit and was recruited by several Division I schools, including Army, Eastern Michigan, Rutgers, and Indiana State. He will be joining the Demon Deacons’ defense in the fall.

The Demon Deacons have a number of running backs on their roster, including Christian Beal-Smith, the rushing leader. The coaching staff is likely to divide carries between the backs, including Quinton Colley, Christian Turner, and Justice Ellison, who each rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season. Despite these players, Roberts’ rushing total may not even make the cut.

NC State’s offense played well for much of the game. They stayed out of the end zone for only one play, when Emeka Ezemie high-pointed over Ja’Sir Taylor. Wake Forest led 21-6 with 19 seconds left, but NC State was unable to take advantage of the turnovers elsewhere. During the game, Zonovan Knight ran for 72 yards through the Demon Deacons, but Roberts recovered the fumble.

On the opening kickoff of the second half, Knight returned the ball 100 yards. After the halftime timeout, the two teams traded interceptions and touchdowns. Wake Forest running back Justice Ellison scored twice, while Christian Beal-Smith was sidelined by injury. Despite the score, the Demon Deacons’ fans partied with the rest of the Demon Deacons following the game. Coach Stewart described the end of the game as “awesome.”

Luke Masterson

It may seem unbelievable, but the Wake Forest football team could be without DB Luke Masterson this weekend at Duke. The Demon Deacons were without their star safety for nearly four weeks after Masterson suffered a foot injury in early November. In fact, the team wasn’t able to even field a defensive back in that game due to Masterson not fully recovering from the injury. While he missed the North Carolina game, he’s back and expected to start Saturday against Louisville.

Though the NFL Draft may be out of his reach, Masterson is still pursuing his dream. His undergraduate degree is in economics, with a minor in social enterprise and entrepreneurship. He plans to get married in Normal, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. In addition, he’s already planning his wedding a week from Saturday. The wedding is an important moment in his life, as he’s focused on pursuing his dream as a football player.

The Demon Deacons are tied for seventh in the FBS with an average of nine yards per pass attempt. The team has also compiled 15 forty-yard passing plays, which is the second-highest total in the country. This is three more than any other ACC team. Regardless of the circumstances, Masterson will be a major part of Wake Forest’s offense in 2020. Sophomore safety Nick Andersen has made 13 tackles this season and recovered one fumble.

McKinney started six games, including one as a free safety. He tallied 25 total tackles during the season, with thirteen of them coming solo. In Duke’s Mayo Bowl game against Wisconsin, McKinney recorded four tackles and two PBUs. In addition, he had a solo tackle against Louisville and recorded a career-high of five tackles and two sacks against the Tar Heels. On his senior season, McKinney was named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll.

Chase Jones

While the upcoming class of Wake Forest Football has many good pieces, there is no question that this one is the most talented in recent memory. Three-star ILB Chase Jones verbally committed to the school on Thursday. His presence at the linebacker position is a big plus, as is his athleticism and coverage skills. Jones, a native of New Jersey, is a 6-foot-1, 231-pound defensive back with excellent ball skills.

Army’s Sam Hartman threw for 458 yards and five touchdowns while rushing for one score. Wake Forest had a 28-21 halftime lead after Hartman connected with Roberson for a 41-yard touchdown. Army had won 13 straight games at Michie Stadium, but the Bears’ defense didn’t live up to their challenge. The two teams were tied on the scoreboard until Army committed a costly turnover.

Despite playing in only seven games as a true freshman, Connor McKinney already has a promising future. The defensive lineman averaged 4.6 stops per game as a true freshman. His season-best seven tackles came against Virginia Tech (11/9) and Clemson (12/16). He also had six stops against Michigan State in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. In addition, he earned his first varsity letter.