Wake Forest loses top weapon to injury on first day of practice

Preseason is a scary thing for football players, all the way from high school to the NFL.

On one hand, you need the practice and the coaches need that valuable time to install their schemes and vision for the upcoming season. On the other hand, every practice in the preseason is an opportunity to get injured. 

Sure, the same thing can be said during the regular season, but injuries during the preseason — before anything officially has gotten underway — just seem to sting more.

Unfortunately, that's the case for Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons just learned that they've lost star wide receiver Donavon Greene for three to five months with a knee injury that was sustained on the first day of fall camp.

Losing Greene for any amount of time, let alone potentially five months is a massive blow for Wake Forest. As a redshirt sophomore in 2022, he finished second on the team in receiving yards with 642 and notched six touchdowns. He averaged an impressive 17.4 yards per reception and both of his multi-touchdown games came against ranked opponents. 

Greene caught four passes for 85 yards and two touchdowns in a loss to No. 15 North Carolina. He also caught two passes — both touchdowns — in Wake Forest's 51-45 double overtime loss to No. 5 Clemson.

Greene was named to the 2023 Maxwell Award Watch list. The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the most outstanding college football player in the country.

"Donavon Greene is a great player and an even better person," head coach Dave Clawson told the team website. "He will play a key role off the field this season as he works towards a speedy and safe recovery in the coming months."