Wake Forest Football

Wake Forest will not have the defense they had last year but this year the offense will be one of the best in the ACC. They will continue to have the great turnover margins that they have had in past years because they practice it.

Keys To Success:

Riley Skinner QB The Leader of the Wake Forest Offense that is Poised to have a great year and more importantly he will be the Heart of the team.

Chris DeGeare OL He was not eligible to play last year due to academics but expect him to lead the Wake Forest Offensive Line to be one of the tops in the ACC.

Boo Robinson DT Expect him to be the Leader of the Depleted Defense he is going to be the big plug on the defense and expect for him to make big plays.

Brandon Ghee CB He will try to assist Boo Robinson in leading the Defense to the field. Expect him to play good since only 2nd round pick Alphonso Smith had more deflections and interceptions than Ghee.

9/05/09  vs Baylor 35-21 Wake will be to much for a young Baylor team.

9/12/09  vs Stanford 28-24 Wake over Stanford in a nail biter.

9/19/09  vs Elon    41-10 It won't take long for Wake to overpower them.

9/26/09  at BC 38-17 They don't have Crane this year Wake will win.

10/03/09 vs NCST 28-21 Wake's first loss of the season.

10/10/09 vs Maryland 34-21 Wake will win against a tough Maryland Team.

10/17/09 at Clemson 35-14 Wake will fall do to lack of run defense.

10/24/09 at Navy 41-10 Wake will take over Navy's new QB.

10/31/09 vs Miami 21-7 Wake will fall due to lack of scoring.

11/07/09 at GT 35-24 Wake falls to GT for second consecutive loss.

11/14/09 vs FSU 17-14 Wake loses to FSU to snap the winning streak.

11/28/09 at Duke 31-24 Wake will win in a season Finale at Duke.

Season Record 7-5 (3-5)

Bowl Bid: Emerald Bowl

To be completely blunt, Wake Forest football looks to be heading for a rebuilding season.  Anything on top of that is gravy.

Wake might be in a lot of shoot outs this year, because only four starters are returning on the defense. 

Three of them, Kyle Wilber, John Russell, and Boo Robinson, are on the defensive line.  Cornerback Brandon Ghee is the only returning starter behind them.

Even with the departures of Aaron Curry and Stanley Arnoux, Jim Grobe is optimistic about his linebacking group. He's calling it the deepest group he's ever had.  Matt Woodlief and Hunter Haynes could lead the Deacons defense, but you can't really know too much about a defense with four returning starters.

Led by senior Riley Skinner, the offense looks good. 

While he doesn't have the strongest arm in the world, Skinner is very accurate and will benefit from his experience. 

Chris Givens and Marshall Davis need to step in at wide receiver and take advantage of Skinner's experience for the offense to be as successful as it is capable of.  Both of Wake's starting wide receivers are gone, so the wide receiver position is much like the defense, inexperienced.

The rushing game is a bright spot of Wake's, with Josh Adams and Brandon Pendergrass leading the way.  If Adams can stay healthy, the two could form a dynamic duo that could help Wake stay in most games.

I think Wake should also get their backup quarterback, sophomore Skylar Jones, some experience seeing as he will most likely be the starter next year.  Rumor has it he can run a 4.4 40.  Maybe we can put in a wildcat formation every now and then, and have him be a Pat White/Ronnie Brown type player some this year.

It will be fun to see this young team on the field, but I wouldn't go into the season expecting too much.  They definitely have the potential to do well, and I would love to see them do well. With so many inexperienced starters, can we really expect too much?

This summer, the National Football Post is breaking down every team in the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-A) to identify players who might warrant interest from teams in the 2010 NFL Draft.

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons have some talented pieces in place on the defensive side of the ball but will likely have a tough time replacing the four draft picks they lost to the 2009 draft.

Offense

Riley Skinner: No. 11, QB, 6-0, 205

An undersized quarterback who lacks the ideal physical skill set for the position. Doesn’t possess the arm strength to consistently get the ball down the field and lacks zip outside the numbers.

However, he throws a very catchable ball and showcases good touch and rhythm in the pass game. Sets quickly in the pocket and does a nice job manipulating coverages and getting the ball out on time.

Displays the ability to throw receivers open and exhibits good accuracy in the short/intermediate pass game.

He needs to do a better job scanning the entire field and going through his progressions quicker. Lacks the arm strength to be late on any kind of throw.

Impression: Doesn’t have the physical skill set required for the NFL game; looks more like a CFL prospect.

Ben Wooster: No. 85, TE, 6-5, 235

A big target who lacks burst out of his stance and looks stiff when asked to get down the field. Runs upright and struggles cleanly changing directions, but locates the ball quickly and does a nice job adjusting to the throw.

Is a natural receiver who looks comfortable catching with his hands and quickly securing the grab. However, he needs to do a better job extending his arms and plucking balls away from his frame.

Is a strider who picks up speed as he goes, but isn’t any kind of vertical threat. Showcases a good feel in the pass game and knows how to find soft spots down the field, but won’t run away from anyone in coverage.

Impression: A big, lumbering tight end prospect with a good feel in the pass game, but will really struggle trying to separate at the next level.

Defense

John Russell: No. 51, DT/DE, 6-3, 280

An instinctive defender who does a nice job extending his arms into blocks and knows how to control opposing linemen on contact. Lines up inside on the Wake Forest defense, but is better suited to play defensive end at the next level.

Does a nice job getting his hands up quickly and moving his arms and feet in sync off the snap. Possesses the length to keep himself clean in the run game and consistently disengages toward the ball.

However, he lacks the strength in his base to hold the point of attack inside and is easily washed out of plays when asked to take on any kind of double-team.

Demonstrates a good motor and works hard in pursuit but makes most of his tackles are well past the line of scrimmage.

Showcases good body control and coordination as a pass rusher, uses his club move to create space inside and possesses the balance to work his way up the field on contact.

However, he consistently lets his pad level get too high and doesn’t possess the explosion to penetrate cleanly once he gains a step.

Impression: Uses his hands well and knows how to control blockers at the point of attack. Looks like a possible five-technique defensive end at the next level.

Boo Robinson: No. 96, DT, 6-1, 305

A thickly built interior lineman who displays natural bend in his lower half and plays with impressive leverage on contact. Possesses a good first step and is consistently one of the first defensive linemen moving off the ball.

Demonstrates the quickness to threaten gaps inside and can work his way through the double team. Isn’t overly explosive, but possesses a strong lower half. Can create some havoc up the middle.

Displays good short-area quickness as a pass rusher and uses his violent arm-over move to shed blocks inside. However, he lacks the closing burst to simply fire past offensive linemen once when he gains a step.

Sits into his stance well and possess the base strength to anchor at the point of attack. Does a nice job dropping his pad level on contact and showcases the coordination to slip the double-team and work his way toward the ball.

Demonstrates a great motor down the line and works hard in pursuit.

Needs to do a better job consistently finding the ball off the snap. Has a tendency to take himself out of plays inside and struggles working his way back toward the ball.

Impression: Has the skill set to man a starting defensive tackle spot in a 4-3 defense and reminds me a bit of former California defensive tackle Brandon Mebane.

Brandon Ghee: No. 17, CB, 6-0, 191

A real physical specimen who isn’t afraid to lower his shoulder and bring the wood through a tackle. Showcases a good pop on contact and possesses the strength to disengage ball from man down the field.

An explosive athlete who gets out of his breaks quickly and has a second gear to his game. Demonstrates great range and possesses the closing speed to consistently track the football from behind.

Does a nice job flipping his hips and transitioning cleanly out of his back-pedal. However, it’s his impressive straight-line speed that consistently puts him in position to make plays on the ball.

Uses his frame well to box receivers away from the play and is physical in press coverage.

However, he does have a tendency to get choppy with his footwork when trying to change directions and relies more on his pure athletic ability than overall technique at this stage in his development.

Impression: Possesses the size, speed and ball skills to develop into a starting man-to-man corner at the next level.

Be sure to check out the rest of my team breakdowns at NationalFootballPost.com.

The Wake Forest Football Program will host their annual women's football clinic on July 18.

The affair will include breakfast at 9 AM, football instruction through indoor presentations and outdoor drills on the field with Jim Grobe and the Wake Forest football staff. The program is $30 and all proceeds go towards the Coach's Kids Program, which works to get home game tickets for unprivileged youths in the Piedmont Triad area.

The Demon Deacon's women's football clinic, in its 12th year, is not only a great way to raise money for local charity and bring good press to a football program in a basketball school, but also helps to break the boundaries of run-of-the mill fundraisers by incorporating new parts of the community into their program.

And Wake isn't the only one.

Breaking away from the pancake breakfast fundraisers of yesteryear, schools like Boise State, the University of Cincinnati, Austin Peay State, The University of Utah and Clemson University use their players and their facilities to educate and inform a demographic that, traditionally it would seem, pay little or no attention to the sport.

With an increased interest in the sport in recent years, females have even begun to participate in the sport themselves in some cases. Be it in high school or a league such as the Women's Football Alliance,  female interaction with the sport increased in the 1990's and has steadily pushed the interest forward.

Of course, these clinics are not made for players on the Binghamton Tiger Cats or the Emerald Coast Barracudas, but more for those who would like to learn more about the sport and help forward a local cause at the same time.

The clinics stray from the norm and help to inform the community of what the team is doing to stay in touch with the surrounding town and give back to the area in the process.

The funds for these events go back to local non-profit programs and help to show that these institutions are here not only during the Fall, but also during the offseason, willing to be a part of the community.

Originally Posted on SportInformant.com

As the Packers OTAs have progressed, one of the most surprising stories has been the rapid ascension up the depth chart of Jeremy Thompson. A fourth-round draft pick out of Wake Forest (102nd overall) in 2008, Thompson saw limited action in his rookie season.

Thompson was inactive for the Packers first four games, but when Cullen Jenkins' season came to an early end, Thompson stepped into the defensive end rotation. He eventually started three games, but was hampered for much of the last seven games with an assortment of injuries.

Thompson didn't get a chance to show very much in 2008, but the Packers coaches thought he could be a contributor at DE in 2009 if he bulked up and added another 15 pounds to his 270lbs frame.

Then of course, the defensive coaching purge hit Green Bay on Jan 5, 2009. Soon after, new coaches and a new 3-4 defensive system were introduced.

In retrospect, it was the best thing that could have happened for Jeremy Thompson. He is now being asked to play a position the new Packers coaches feel he is a natural for.

Thompson changed his training regimen over the offseason, emphasizing speed and hip-flexibility drills. He also abandoned the need to put on more weight, instead focusing on becoming leaner and stronger at the same time. The end result was he actually dropped 10 pounds, while gaining speed, flexibility and strength.

Thompson has also been working extensively since January with linebackers coach Kevin Greene on techniques and tactics. He says every day Coach Greene will pick one aspect of his game that needs improving and work on it extensively. Greene has commented that he is "excited" by Thompson's athletic ability.

Evidently, all these factors have sent Thompson rocketing up the depth chart. He was installed as the first team right OLB at OTAs even before 2009 No. 1 pick Clay Matthews III injured his hamstring.

There have been a multitude of positive quotes about Jeremy Thompson coming out of Green Bay. Mike McCarthy called him "a natural fit for this defense." Dom Capers said, "He's made progress and, through just a short period of time we've been around him, has been encouraging. I think he has the ability to play the position."

Capers also warned, however, not to read too much into who's on the No. 1 unit during OTAs, because there will be significant competition for the job in training camp.

So as this relative unknown makes his bid for a starting spot over the much more high-profile Clay Matthews III and veteran Brady Poppinga, it left me wanting to know more about Jeremy Thompson.

Here's what I found...

Thompson did play some linebacker in High School, as well as tight end, running back and wide receiver. He also earned four letters in basketball, three in track and one in tennis.   Natural athlete.

At Wake Forest, he was a two-time Academic All-ACC selection. Intelligent

As a senior at Wake forest, was a finalist for the NCAA National Sportsmanship Award.   Good Person

Played in 46 games with 32 starts for Wake Forest and finished his career with 111 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss and eight-and-one-half sacks. He also blocked two field goals and had two interceptions, one of which he returned for 86 yards and a touchdown.   Productive.

Although Wake Forest plays a 4-3 defense, they do often drop their defensive ends into pass coverage, like an outside linebacker. At times, he even lined up on the slot receiver.  Versatile.

So putting all these facts together, our quickie profile of Jeremy Thompson reads: Natural athlete, intelligent, good person, productive, and versatile. Sounds like “Packer People.”

Will all of this translate to a significant role for Jeremy Thompson in 2009? We’ll have a better idea after they put the pads on at the first mandatory mini camp June 22. Stay tuned...

For even more nuggets of information about Jeremy Thompson, check the end of my article here.

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You can find more of Jersey Al Bracco's articles on several sports websites: NFL Touchdown, Packers Lounge, Packer Chatters , Jersey Al's Blog and, of course, Bleacher Report.

2) Wake Demon Deacons

3) Florida State Seminoles

4) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

5) Virginia Tech Hokies

6) Duke Blue Devils

7) North Carolina Tar Heels

8) Miami Hurricanes

9) Maryland Terrapins

10) Clemson Tigers

11) Virginia Cavaliers

12) Boston College Eagles

Somehow, in my four years as a student at Wake Forest, I never managed to make a spring football game. Whether I was out of town for conferences, sick, or in the case of my freshman year unable to wake up on time, I managed to miss every spring game during my time in college.

That said, this year was the first time I ever attended Wake Forest's spring game, and as I was driving to Winston-Salem this morning I consistently kept asking myself "Why are we not playing at BB&T Field?"

And, reflecting on the afternoon's scrimmage and my experience attending it, I'll never ask that question again. The Doc Martin Practice Complex is the right location for our football program's first showing of the season.

Sure, the practice facility isn't the most fan-friendly of venues. With Earth Day, guest lectures and a million other things going on on campus this Saturday, parking was in short supply for those who didn't want to walk from one end of the campus to the other.

Further, once fans made their way into the practice complex, seating was at a premium, and a number of people found themselves climbing the uncut hills around the facility to try and get a better view of the field.

However, these minor annoyances did little to take away from what I found to be a truly unique college football experience.

Arriving about an hour prior to kickoff, it was very cool to see campus, rather than the off-campus stadium, abuzz with visitors, all decked out in their black and gold.

Everywhere I looked, Wake fans of all ages were out in force, the energy level similar to that of an actual game day. Everyone was excited to be there.

What's more, in addition to perfect weather and a game day atmosphere on campus, scrimmaging on the practice fields allowed for some picturesque sights that were breathtaking for Wake fans.

Just getting the chance to stand in the corner of the south end zone and watch Riley Skinner drop back to pass with the steeple of Wait Chapel in the background made the six hour drive all worth it.

More importantly, since the scrimmage was on a practice field, not in a stadium, all of the fans that showed up got to stand on the sidelines with their team. And Deacon football supporters took advantage.

Another of my favorite moments of the day came when Jordan Williams dropped a wide open pass on the sideline. On the next play, Skinner went right back to Williams, who made a superb catch down the sideline that put his side in scoring position.

Ball in hand, play made, dozens of Wake fans got a chance to give Williams a personal thumbs up, telling their receiver that he made a nice play and knowing he heard it.

Meanwhile, younger Wake fans all got to see their local heroes up close and personal, even getting to toss their own footballs around on the field following the scrimmage.

This was truly a community event, and truly representative of the community Wake Forest University prides itself on. Everyone, the players, the coaches, the fans, all got to be on the field Saturday, not a few miles away in the shadow of Deacon Tower, but on the campus that is our team's home.

Sure, when compared to Alabama packing 90,000 fans into Bryant-Denny Stadium, Wake's spring game might seem amateur.

But, even though Jim Grobe and his program continue to turn WFU football into a program capable of contending with the best in the nation, it's important to remember that no matter how many bowl games the Deacons go to, how many ACC titles they contend for, Wake Forest will never be an Alabama.

The Wake Forest football community, just like the University it represents, is a small and tight-knit unit. And that community felt right at home, on campus, at Doc Martin on Saturday.

Don’t feel sorry for Ron Wellman, Athletic Director at Wake Forest University.

Don’t feel sorry for him because his school has under 4,500 undergraduates and has to compete with other ACC schools several times its size.

Don’t feel sorry for him because when you think of college basketball you think of North Carolina and Duke and not only does Wake share a conference with those schools but it shares a state.

Don’t feel sorry for him because when you think of college football you might think of Florida State and Miami and Wake shares a conference with them, too.

No, don't feel sorry for Ron Wellman or the Wake Forest athletic department because the Demon Deacons are doing just fine.

Wellman, who has been Wake's AD since 1992, was named the 2008 College Athletic Director of the Year by Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal, an award he certainly deserved given Wake's recent athletic success.

Football Facelift

Going into the 2006 season, the Wake Forest football team was coming off three straight losing seasons. The program had won a total of 38 games in the '90's. The Demon Deacons were picked to finish last in the conference by the media. All Wake did that year was go 11-3, win the ACC, and represent the conference in the Orange Bowl.

Jim Grobe, Wake's head coach, was named Coach of the Year by several outlets, including the Associated Press. Grobe was hired in December 2000.

Before coming to Wake, Grobe was an assistant at Air Force before becoming the top man at Ohio University, a school that went 0-11 the year before he arrived. During Grobe’s six-year stint, Ohio posted a .500 record.

“We felt he was a good match,” Wellman said of the Grobe hiring through a recent phone interview. “He’d been at Air Force for 11 years as an assistant. (Air Force is) dealing with student-athletes at a similar caliber –– they have to perform academically as well as athletically.”

Given the state of the Wake Forest football, Wellman also liked that Grobe had experience turning a program around. “He took what was probably the worst program in the country (Ohio University) and made it into a force. That led me to believe he was a viable candidate for our position. When I met him, it quickly became evident he had the right values and ideals.”

The Deacs have gone 9-4 and 8-5 the past two seasons under Grobe, winning a bowl each year. 

Dealing with a Tragedy

Shortly after reeling in Grobe, Wellman made another savvy hire, luring Skip Prosser away from Xavier. Prosser led the Deacs to at least the second round of the NCAA Tournament in each of his first four years. In 2004, Wake Forest basketball reached a mark never before attained in school history: a No. 1 ranking.

Then, in the Summer of 2007, Prosser tragically died of an apparent heart attack. He was only 56.

This could have sent the Wake basketball program into a tailspin. Instead, the Deacs, now led by one of Prosser’s assistants, Dino Gaudio, haven't missed a beat. They are currently 14-0 and No. 2 in the country after their thrilling victory over North Carolina last night.

Wellman, like most everyone who ever came in contact with Prosser, had nothing but great things to say about the former coach, and said the process to find a replacement was not easy.

“After his funeral, I met with his staff and told them I was going to make a decision for the long-term betterment and consideration of the program,” Wellman said. “Emotionally, it would be easy to hire one of them."

Hiring from within was just one of the four options Wellman was considering. He could’ve brought in a coach with more notoriety who had previous head coaching experience. Instead, he went with Gaudio.

“All of the (other assistant) coaches supported Dino,” he said. “I interviewed him for about eight hours, and we touched on just about everything. It became very evident to me that he was the right guy to lead this program.”

It’s certainly hard to argue with Wellman now, not after Wake's perfect start. One of the reasons behind the team’s success is star freshman Al-Farouq Aminu, a McDonald's High School All-American. Wake Forest’s ability to land top recruits –– former Deacs Chris Paul and Eric Williams were also McDonald's All-Americans –– is impressive given the school’s size.

Size Doesn’t Matter

“We don’t view size as a disadvantage—we view it as an advantage,” Wellman said. “It’s a uniqueness we have that we do our very best to exploit. We are unique within our conference and within the country.”

Part of that uniqueness, according to Wellman, is that Wake’s size means students don’t get lost in the shuffle.

“Our students have the opportunity to interact and get to know their professors,” he said. “We have a very nurturing environment, both academically and athletically.”

A smaller student body certainly hasn’t prohibited Wake Forest from recruiting top players and achieving national success on the playing fields. And football and men’s basketball aren’t the only programs doing well, either.

In 2006, the same year Wake went to the Orange Bowl, the field hockey team reached the National Championship, and the men’s soccer team advanced to the Final Four.

As Wellman puts it, when the whistle blows, size doesn't really matter.

“I tell our coaches we have the same number of scholarships as everyone else.”

The Wake Forest football team avenged an early season loss to Navy with a 29-19 victory over the Midshipmen in the first annual EagleBank Bowl Saturday in Washington, D.C.

The Demon Deacons entered the game hoping for a better outcome after the sloppy first meeting of thes two teams back in September, in which Wake turned the ball over six times and lost, 24-17. 

Navy took a 13-0 lead early on before Wake was able to get anything going offensively. 

About halfway through the second quarter, cornerback Alphonso Smith picked off Navy quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada at Wake's 2-yard-line. That interception gave him the all-time ACC record for most interceptions in a season, with 21.

Wake then took the ball 98 yards behind the strong, physical running of Kevin Harris, who bulldozed his way down field. The drive ended with Josh Adams forcing his way into the end zone for a touchdown to make the score 13-7. It stayed that way going into the second half.

Success continued for the Demon Deacons in the third quarter as the "Big Three" of quarterback Riley Skinner, Adams, and fellow running back Kevin Smith plowed their way down field once again and took the lead, 14-13, on Adams' second touchdown of the day.

Navy came back in the fourth quarter and marched down the field on a drive that ended with a two-yard run by Kaheaku-Enhada for a touchdown to put Navy back on top, 19-14.

The two-point-conversion pass by Kaheaku-Enhada was almost picked off in the end zone and left the door wide open for Wake Forest to take the lead right back.

They did just that on the next drive ending with a reception in the end zone by Wake wideout Ben Wooster. The Demon Deacons then gave Navy a free lesson in converting two-point conversions and took a three-point lead, 22-19. 

Navy responded with an 80-plus-yard kickoff that would have given them great field position had it not been for a holding penalty that brought them back to their own 27-yard line. They managed no points on the drive.

The Navy defense held up and forced Wake to punt on their next possession with four minutes to play. 

Now it was Wake Forest's turn to show some defensive muscle as they forced Kaheaku-Enhada to scramble and then fumble with two minutes left in the game. 

Wake Forest recovered and went on to score once more to make it 29-19. 

Navy took over and got into field-goal range with 33 seconds remaining. The attempt fell no good and made any idea of trying an onside kick and a miracle comeback all but pointless. 

Linebacker Aaron Curry, who had a big day on defense, got Wake Forest's head coach Jim Grobe with the Gatorade bath as the clock ran down, and Wake celebrated its win of the first-ever EagleBank Bowl.