Kobie Turner leads all Wake Forest defensive PFF Grades
As we await Wake Forest’s Gasparilla Bowl matchup with Missouri on Dec. 23, we’re taking a look back at the regular season PFF grades of the key contributors from each position groups. Up next: the defensive line.
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1. Kobie Turner- 91.3
Turner was the darling of Pro Football Focus in his lone season at Wake Forest. The site was a huge fan of his work, even selecting him for the PFF Midseason All-America Team. He finished with two sacks on the season and graded above an 80 five times, including two marks above 90. His highest grade came against Army in Week six where he netted a defensive grade of 92.0 and a pass rushing grade of 94.4. Turner came to Wake Forest as a graduate transfer and will depart for the NFL.
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2. Rondell Bothroyd- 86.0
The veteran Bothroyd was one of the best pass rushers on the team this season, totaling five sacks and two forced fumbles off the edge. He finished with 27 total tackles and earned grades of 90 or higher twice — Bothroyd graded out at a 91.4 against VMI and a 90.7 against Boston College. His pass rushing grades were above 90 in both of those contests as well. Bothroyd has remaining eligibility, but it is unclear if he will return to Wake Forest.
3. Tyler Williams- 80.4
Williams was one of the starters at defensive tackle for the Deacs this season and made some valuable contributions throughout the year. He chipped in two sacks, 17 QB hurries and 14 tackles along with three additional QB hits. His highest PFF grades of the season came against Vanderbilt (87.7), Boston College (88.9), and Syracuse (90.2). Williams is set to return to Wake Forest right now, and should be an important piece on the D-line next year.
4. Jasheen Davis- 76.1
Though Davis didn’t start for the Deacs, he certainly provided a spark as one of the rotation guys on the edge. His seven sacks were the most on the team this season — three of them came in Wake Forest’s matchup with UNC late in the year. He graded out at a 72.8 in that contest, but his highest mark of the year was an 84.5 in the Florida State game, where he added another sack. Davis is also likely set to return for the Deacs next season.
5. Jacorey Johns- 74.2
Johns was the other starter at edge alongside Bothroyd and also made his presence felt this season. He played in all 12 games, adding a sack, 15 QB hurries and 19 tackles. Johns’ PFF grades stayed consistent for the majority of the season — all but two of his marks fell between 64.9 and 71.8. His highest rating was against Vanderbilt in Week 2 (77.1). As of right now, Johns is also set to be back with Wake Forest next year.
6. Kevin Pointer- 73.9
Pointer played more of a reserve role for Wake, though he did see action in all 12 games. He finished the year with one sack to go along with seven QB hurries and seven total tackles. Pointer opened the season on a strong note, grading out at an 84.0 against VMI, his highest grade of the season by almost a full 10 points. Pointer should play a key role on the line next year.
7. Kendron Wayman- 72.0
Wayman was another key backup piece from this unit, adding three sacks and 14 hurries off the edge. He played in all but one of the Deacs’ regular season games, grading above 70 four times, including a 76.9 against Army. He also saw some grades at the other end of the spectrum, nothing three marks below 60 on the season. Wayman should be back and could step into an expanded role next year.
8. Dion Bergan Jr.- 70.7
Bergan was the fourth starter on the defensive line. He had a sack in the NC State game and added 12 total tackles. His season run defense grade was strong at a 74.5, one of the top 10 on the defense. Bergan shined in the Syracuse game, where he notched a PFF grade of 77.8 and a run defense grade of 81.7, both his highest marks of the year. Bergan is the other key piece of the line set to depart alongside Kobie Turner.
9. Bernard Gooden- 67.2
Gooden saw limited action this season compared to the other names on this list, totaling just 107 snaps in 10 games played. His grade of 81.9 in the VMI game was his highest of the year — he was clocked at a 90.7 pass rush grade in that contest and added a sack. Gooden was a redshirt freshman this year and should be back at tackle next season.
Looking ahead:
There is some uncertainty in this group with key pieces in Turner and Bergan Jr. departing. It’s also possible that Johns and Bothroyd could leave, which would leave the Deacs with some serious gaps to fill. However, there are plenty of guys in this rotation who will be back and saw a lot of action this year, so all hope is not lost. The complexion of this group next year will depend heavily on the decisions of Johns and Bothroyd.
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Ben is a managing editor and lead contributing writer for Deacons Daily. Ben has a year of experience as the Sports Editor for the Old Gold & Black, and a year of experience as the publication’s print managing editor. He has a journalistic profile of over 40 published news and sports pieces for the Dayton Daily News.