Wake Forest Football: Scholarship Update and Team Needs
Read here for Deacons Daily's transfer portal tracker.
With several Wake Forest players set to graduate, and nine others currently in the transfer portal, the Deacs’ coaching staff has their work cut out for them filling some spots on the 2023 roster. As of this article’s posting, Wake Forest currently has 20 players committed to joining the team in their Class of 2023 recruiting class, now ranked No. 38 in the nation per 247Sports.
The state of the team will be in flux for the foreseeable future. Some players will transfer out, others will make a move to Winston-Salem, and a few current Deacs with remaining eligibility will declare for the NFL Draft.
Let’s take a look at Wake Forest’s scholarships as things stand now.
READ: Carr drills buzzer beater, Wake Forest survives Appalachian State 67-66
Note: Players in red are those who still have eligibility but could declare for the NFL Draft.
Second Note: QB Sam Hartman is not included on this list despite having remaining eligibility. He previously stated that this was his last season at Wake Forest.
As things stand, there are some clear positions of need that will have to be addressed either through recruiting or in the transfer portal. In other spots, the needs are less pressing, though should still be considered.
Let’s break down each position.
Biggest Needs:
Secondary
Losing Gavin Holmes and JJ Roberts to the transfer portal changes some things for Wake Forest. At cornerback, starter Caelen Carson is set to return, as is Dashawn Jones, who saw a lot of time in the latter half of the season. But, behind them, there is not a lot of experience. Rising sophomore Zamari Stevenson only saw 14 snaps in pass coverage in his first year, and Andre Hall and Jamare Glasker didn’t play at all.
Evan Slocum is an option at nickel, but had the second-lowest pass coverage grade on the entire team — 42.6 per PFF.
Safety is where the most depth lies, and some players could be relocated to other parts of the secondary as a result. Chelen Garnes, Brendon Harris and Malik Mustapha all played interchangeably as starters throughout the season, and AJ Williams was a big contributor. Former walk-on Nick Andersen, who had three interceptions his freshman year against Virginia Tech, should return from a season-long injury to contribute.
If there are any changes at secondary, cornerback will be a likely target through the transfer portal for Clawson and Lambert. The four previously mentioned safeties could be used to plug some holes, especially at nickel/rover.
Defensive Line
If Jacorey Johns and Rondell Bothroyd return for a final season at defensive end, Clawson and coordinator Brad Lambert would be quite pleased. Kendron Wayman and Jasheen Davis are both highly capable to replace them, though, and saw a lot of playing time in rotation this season.
At defensive tackle, Dion Bergan Jr. and Kobie Turner are both gone, so some fresh faces might need to be added to the rotation with Tyler Williams and Kevin Pointer. BJ Williams could take a step forward as a redshirt sophomore. It’s possible rising redshirt junior Isaiah Cheney could see some time after not playing this season.
READ: Key Stats from Wake Forest's 67-66 win over Appalachian State
One name to watch out for — incoming freshman Kerrington Lee. He could make waves as the third-highest rated player in Wake Forest’s 2023 recruiting class. Defensive tackle could be a place where Clawson targets members of the transfer portal, but Williams and Pointer provide some continuity at the position.
Tight End
Going into 2022, despite having a clear No. 1 in Blake Whiteheart, Clawson went to the portal to add Jaeger Bull from Rice. With Whiteheart set to graduate, Wake Forest could be in a similar position leading into 2023. Rising redshirt junior Cameron Hite is the leading candidate to take over for Whiteheart, but he had just two receptions this season — one of them a crafty touchdown against Vanderbilt.
The three rising redshirt sophomores — Trey Boll, Michael Frogge and Gavin Ellis are also options here, but the transfer portal could be in play as it was last offseason.
Running Back
In 2022, Wake Forest had a lot of experience in the running back room. Both Justice Ellison and Christian Turner already had a year under their belt of operating within the offense as starters.
With two players — Turner and Quinton Cooley — entering the portal, this could be a chance for Clawson to see what’s out there. But, he could just as easily ride Demond Claiborne and Will Towns into 2023.
Claiborne, a former four-star recruit, is an exciting prospect, but is a relative unknown with just 14 rushes in his freshman year. Regardless, he could be a player to slide into the 1B role.
Another option is Towns, who looked good in limited action against Louisville, but only had 12 touches this season.
Could see some action in the portal:
Offensive Line
With Sean Maginn, Je’Vionte’ Nash and Loic Ngassam Nya set to depart, and the return of Michael Jurgens and for a final year unclear, Wake Forest could be losing four of their starters on the offensive line next season.
READ: 2024 Quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski commits to Wake Forest
This is a situation where there may be no moves made in the transfer portal for Wake Forest. The future at each position is clear. If Jurgens does declare for the draft, Luke Petitbon would likely slot in at center. Spencer Clapp would take over Nash’s spot at tackle if he doesn’t leave as well — he has remaining eligibility and did not walk on Senior Night.
At guard, where both spots would need to be filled, any combination of rising redshirt sophomores Nick Sharpe, Matt Gulbin and George Sell are candidates to start.
I would expect Clawson and co. to roll with their current depth at OL, but don’t be surprised if a name enters the fold from the transfer portal.
Quarterback
Losing Sam Hartman and his five years of experience is a massive loss for Wake Forest. Luckily, Mitch Griffis appears to be the man prepared to fill his shoes in Warren Ruggiero’s offense. He performed well in his first college start against VMI, replacing the injured Hartman, completing 21 of 29 passes for 288 yards and three touchdowns.
Even so, there will still just be four scholarship quarterbacks on the roster next year, including incoming freshman Charlie Gilliam. Of those players, only Griffis has started a game at Wake Forest. Michael Kern, who will be a redshirt junior next season, only has 13 pass attempts in his collegiate career, and Santino Marucci has just one.
While Griffis will likely be the starter next season, it might behoove Wake Forest to look at adding an additional arm in the transfer portal or the 2023 class. If Griffis and Kern were to suffer injuries, Gilliam and Marucci would probably not be ready.
Georgia native Jeremy Hecklinski became the first member of the 2024 class with his commitment on Wednesday.
Not a focus in the portal:
Wide Receiver
As long as Jahmal Banks, Donavon Greene, Taylor Morin and Ke’Shawn Williams stick around, this group is set. If A.T. Perry returns for a final season, that’s just perfect. Add in the potential of Horatio Fields and Wesley Grimes, and the future of the wide receiver room is well in hand.
READ: Three-star OT Uber Ajongo commits to Wake Forest
Linebacker
With Ryan Smenda graduating, a spot opens up in the middle of the field. Chase Jones will stick around as one starter, and Jaylen Hudson, Dylan Hazen, Quincy Bryant and Eldrick Robinson will all fight for the other spot. I don’t expect the LBs to be a focus in the transfer portal.
Special Teams
The future here is pretty set in stone with punter Ivan Mora and kicker Matthew Dennis. Freshman three-star Tyler Black will join the squad as backup in 2023.
Follow @DeaconsDaily on Twitter and Instagram for more Wake Forest content
Essex is the lead football writer and a managing editor for Deacons Daily. Essex served as the Sports Editor for the Old Gold & Black for two years, in addition to roles as a beat and feature writer.