2025 UNC Schedule Breakdown: Wake Forest

Wake Forest will have a new coach for the first time since 2014 after Dave Clawson retired after the 2024 season. Clawson finished with a 67-69 record at Wake Forest and his win total is the second-most in school history with Jim Grobe being the school’s all-time wins leader. 

Jake Dickert takes over the program after he was the head coach at Washington State the last four seasons with a 23-20 record, taking the Cougars to the postseason in three of those seasons.

With that being said, here’s a way-too-early preview of Carolina’s matchup versus Wake Forest.

Offense

There is a quarterback battle underway between sixth-year senior Robby Ashford and sophomore quarterback DeShawn Purdie.

Wake Forest is Ashford’s fourth school since his freshman year in 2020 as he was previously at Oregon, Auburn and South Carolina before settling in Winston-Salem. He has completed 51.8% of his passes for 2.082 yards with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions throughout his career. His most productive season came in 2022 for Auburn where he passed for 1,613 yards with seven touchdowns while also rushing for 710 yards and scoring seven times as well. However, he completed less than 50% of his passes and threw seven interceptions.

Purdie threw for 1,802 yards with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions last season for Charlotte through nine games last season. In Cahrlotte’s last three games of the season with 867 yards (289 yards per game) with five touchdowns and three interceptions.

The backfield returns 1,000-yard rusher DeMond Claiborne and veteran running back Tate Carney, who rushed for 336 yards and six touchdowns last season.

The biggest concern about Wake Forest’s offense is the lack of depth in the wide receiver corps. Micah Mays (16 catches for 218 yards and two touchdowns) is the only returning starter on the offense outside of Claiborne. However, Dickert did convince Carlos Hernandez to follow him from Washington State where he had 31 catches for 397 yards and five touchdowns. 

The offensive line will have five new starters, but Fa’alili Fa’amoe, Devin Kylany and Rodrick Tialavea were all starters for Washington State last season and are familiar with Dickert. 

While we are still on the offense, here is an interesting fact: Wake Forest offensive coordinator Rob Ezell was UNC quarterback Gio Lopez’s position coach and playcaller at South Alabama last season. However, Ezell is most famous for his impression of his former coach, Nick Saban.

Defense

Wake Forest was terrible last season on the defensive side of the ball as it was 80th in rushing defense (157.2 yards allowed per game), 117th in total defense (435 yards allowed per game) and 126th in passing yards allowed (277.8 yards per game).

Wake Forest bolstered its defensive line with several transfers, including Gabe Kirschke, who recorded 42 tackles and six sacks at Colorado State last season; Dallas Afalava from Idaho; Jayden Loving from Western Kentucky; and Langston Hardy, who had 44 tackles and 3.5 sacks at UConn.

The linebacker corps returns Dylan Hazen, who had 84 tackles, six tackles for loss, a sack and an interception last season, and Quincy Bryant, who recorded 50 tackles and an interception in a rotational role.

The defensive backfield returns nickelback Davaughn Pattersone and strong safety Nick Anderson, who had team-highs with 122 tackles and two interceptions. Wake Forest also brought in cornerbacks Ladarious Webb (South Alabama) and Karon Prunty (North Carolina A&T) through the transfer portal.

Big Dawg: RB Demond Claiborne

Claiborne rushed for 1,049 yards and scored a career-high 11 touchdowns last season. He is a versatile back as well as he had 23 catches for 254 yards and two touchdowns and a kickoff return for a touchdown as well.

Claiborne earned Third-Team All-ACC honors last season and has been named to multiple award watch lists including the Doak Walker Award, Walter Camp Trophy, Paul Hornung Trophy and the Maxwell Award.

Conclusion

Of the three in-state conference games, this is the one where people should feel the most confident. The Demon Deacons are going downwards as a program and they have a new head coach. Also, Wake’s defense is terrible and the Demon Deacons offense is basically Claiborne.

However, this is a rivalry game and even the worst teams play like a national championship caliber team against their rivals.