Wake Forest aims for strong follow-up to a 9-win debut season under Jake Dickert

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — 2025 record: 9-4

Little was expected from Wake Forest for Jake Dickert's debut season, with the Demon Deacons picked to finish next-to-last in the 17-team ACC. Instead, the former Washington State coach showed a deft touch in bringing along the roster in what became a nine-win season that ended with a bowl win against Mississippi State.

Last year's offense was built around running back Demond Claiborne, but the unit will adjust with new personnel for second-year coordinator Rob Ezell. The defense, however, has experience. Wake Forest has 60 returnees and roughly 50 new players.

“The one thing I’ve told the team that I can’t recreate is last year’s hunger,” Dickert said.

The Demon Deacons are picked to finish 13th in the ACC this year and face a tough league slate. The headliner is a visit from preseason favorite Miami (Sept. 18), while Wake Forest plays six teams picked to finish in the top seven of the league race.

Wake Forest's defense led the way last season, with the Demon Deacons ranking 26th in the Bowl Subdivision ranks in total defense (328.5 yards) and 44th in scoring (22.1). There's enough returning talent to make that a potential strength this fall.

Defensive lineman Langston Hardy is back after tallying seven sacks while standing as one of 12 players in FBS to tally at least 17 tackles for loss. There's experience at linebacker with the return of every-game starter Aiden Hall (third on the team with 73 tackles) and Frank Cusano (45).

And the secondary features No. 2 tackler Davaughn Patterson (80) along with seven-game starter Travon West.

“Really at the end of the season after the bowl game, we were kind of all sitting in the locker room looking at each other and realized, like, how good of a group we’re going to have coming back next year,” Hardy said.

With Claiborne on to the NFL, the offense will run with Ezell working with North Carolina transfer quarterback Gio Lopez, who spent one season under Bill Belichick with the Tar Heels. Lopez threw for 2,559 yards and 18 touchdowns while also proving to be a running threat (465 yards, seven TDs) in his last season under Ezell at South Alabama.

Lopez wasn't nearly as effective at UNC, though Dickert said Lopez's arrival allows the coaches to “take a really big step closer to our ideal" after tailoring last year's approach to match the skillset of Claiborne and the offensive line.

“I believe in the best version of Gio Lopez, period,” he said. “We can recreate that.”

Yet there's plenty of change beyond that, from a shuffled offensive line, a reworked running back room and flux at receiver beyond returnee Carlos Hernandez (team-high 611 yards).

QB Gio Lopez (transfer from UNC), WR Antonio Meeks (transfer from Louisville), TE Landon Morris (transfer from California), LB/S Vincent Firenze (transfer from Dayton), DB Deuce Blades II (transfer from Florida International).

RB Demond Claiborne (NFL draft pick), WR Sterling Berkhalter (transferred to Texas), OL Melvin Siani (transferred to Texas), DB Nick Andersen, DB Karon Prunty (NFL draft pick).

Vs. Miami (Sept. 18), at N.C. State (Oct. 10), vs. Virginia (Oct. 31), vs. Duke (Nov. 28).

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FILE - North Carolina quarterback Gio Lopez warms up before the first half of an NCAA college football game against Central Florida, Sept. 20, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)

FILE - Wake Forest head coach Jake Dickert heads to the locker room before an NCAA college football game against Mississippi State, Jan. 2, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Scott Kinser, File)

BOSTON (AP) — 2026 record: 2-10

After going 7-6 and playing in a bowl game in his first season in charge of the Eagles inƒ 2024, coach Bill O’Brien’s program stalled significantly in Year 2. The 2-10 finish was BC’s worst since 2012 (also 2-10), included a 10-game losing streak and was tied with Syracuse for the worst record (1-7) in the ACC. The Orange were the only team BC beat in league play and it came in the Eagles’ season finale at home.

Athletic director Blake James pledged his confidence in his coach, saying in a letter to fans that he believed O’Brien was the “right man” to lead the team. He also announced that the athletic department would increase its revenue sharing with players to the “maximum permissible level” following the House settlement.

O’Brien went to work in the spring, blowing up a roster that’s brought in 27 new players via the transfer portal. There are also 23 freshmen.

The changes aren’t just on the field. After watching his defense yield an ACC-worst 467.3 yards per game in conference play, O’Brien parted ways with coordinator Tim Lewis. Other coaches let go were offensive line coach Matt Applebaum and wide receivers coach Darrell Wyatt.

How much it will all move the needle is an open question. But it will need to bear some fruit if O’Brien is going to continue to have time to prove he can make BC relevant in the ACC.

The overhaul of the roster included the departure of quarterback Dylan Lonergan to Rutgers along with several other starters. It creates a virtual blank slate for transfer quarterbacks Mason McKenzie and Grayson Wilson to work with.

McKenzie will likely be the Week 1 starter and arrives with exciting numbers having thrown for more than 4,000 yards and 31 touchdowns in three seasons at Division II Saginaw Valley State in Michigan. But that was Division II. There will almost certainly be some bumps as he adjust to FBS competition.

He'll have O'Brien to guide him through it, as he plans to call plays for the first time since he took over at BC. He last did it his final season with the NFL's New England Patriots in 2023.

The Eagles lost about a third of their offensive production from last season, so there is much to make up after averaging 25.4 points per game and still being outscored 393-305 by opponents. The defense will be a work in progress and will need to pull together quickly.

Defensive coordinator Ted Roof (UCF), QB Mason McKenzie (Saginaw Valley State), QB Grayson Wilson (Arkansas), RB Evans Dickens (Liberty), WR Javarius Green (UNC), WR Reed Swanson (Colgate), RG Kristian Phillips (Michigan State), LT Veguer Jean-Jumeau (Tennessee State), DE Kris Jones (Georgia), LB Anthony Palano, DL KJ Sampson (Florida State).

RB Turbo Richard (transfer to Indiana), S Omar Thornton (transfer to Miami), WR Reed Harris (transfer to Arizona State).

At No. 19 SMU (Oct. 3), at No. 4 Notre Dame (Sept. 26), at No. 7 Miami (Nov., 28).

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FILE - Boston College head coach Bill O'Brien reacts during the second half of an NCAA football game against California on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, in Chestnut Hill, Mass. (AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper)