Big changes are on the horizon for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in 2023, but their 2024 NFL Draft class might just have the talent to anchor the unit and weather the storm as a new era arrives. Who represents the core of Wake Forest’s football program in 2023?
Wake Forest Demon Deacons NFL Draft Prospects
The biggest loss for Wake Forest — bar none — is the loss of quarterback Sam Hartman, who transferred to Notre Dame in a bid to potentially compete for a championship and boost his 2024 NFL Draft stock. Hartman threw for almost 13,000 yards and over 100 touchdowns in a five-year span with the Demon Deacons.
Wake Forest appears bullish on Hartman’s successor, Mitch Griffis. Griffis saw limited action in 2022 and fared well, completing 29 of 41 attempts for 348 yards, five touchdowns, and just one interception. Griffis will have an experienced offensive line protecting him, as well as a deep and talented WR room — even taking into account the loss of A.T. Perry.
On defense, Wake Forest lost Kobie Turner, who was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams, and Rondell Bothroyd, who transferred to Oklahoma. They also lost Ryan Smenda Jr. at linebacker, who was the team’s leading tackler in 2022. Luckily, the Demon Deacons have plenty of returning starters adjacent to those losses and also added a productive FCS linebacker through the transfer portal.
Justice Ellison, RB
Without Hartman at QB, the Demon Deacons may rely on the run game a bit more in 2023, and they have a capable lead back in Justice Ellison. At 5’10”, 208 pounds, Ellison is a compact and well-leveraged runner, who also profiles as a shifty short-area athlete. He has incredibly elastic footwork and constant leg churn through congestion. But more than that, he’s also proven himself to be a very willing pass protector — compounding his utility for NFL evaluators.
Donavon Greene, WR
It’ll be hard to replace the impact A.T. Perry had on Wake Forest’s offense, but the Demon Deacons do have a very competent WR trio taking over in his stead. Donavon Greene is the leading receiver in the returning group, despite have the least receptions of the trio. He nabbed 642 yards and six scores on just 37 receptions in 2022. At 6’2″, 210 pounds, he’s an explosive vertical threat with strong hands and steely coordination.
Jahmal Banks, WR
On the other boundary across from Greene, the Demon Deacons will trot out Jahmal Banks. At 6’4′, 208 pounds, he has a similarly long and lean frame to his predecessor, Perry.
Banks isn’t as flexible as Perry was in the separating phase, but he does have enough quickness for his size to separate off the line on split releases, and he can throttle up to stack downfield. And at the catch point, he can box out defenders and cage in passes with his frame.
Taylor Morin, WR
Taylor Morin, who caught 47 passes in 2022, completes Wake Forest’s eligible WR trio. At 5’10”, 176 pounds, he’s undersized relative to his counterparts, but he’s a smooth, fleet-footed mover out of the slot who can sink and glide out of his route breaks. He doesn’t hold up as well as his teammates at the catch point, and without elite athleticism, he’s not a lock to be drafted. But at the very least, Morin’s separation style is consistent and translatable.
DeVonte Gordon, OT
The Demon Deacons will have seventh-year senior Spencer Clapp at left tackle, but right tackle DeVonte Gordon is the more translatable NFL Draft prospect. At 6’5″, 308 pounds, Gordon has good size and mass, as well as the length to lock out opponents. He’s not an elite athlete, and his midsection is a bit stiff. But Gordon has above-average quickness, and he has the awareness to process stunts and recalibrate his base with little delay.
Michael Jurgens, OL
Michael Jurgens, who stands around 6’4″, 296 pounds, is a sixth-year senior who’s started 34 games at center to this point. His relatively light frame can be easily displaced and forklifted upward with power, but he’s an explosive short-area mover and a nimble athlete climbing to the second level. And like Gordon, Jurgens is able to process stunts on the interior, as well as use his opponents’ momentum against them to generate and channel torque.
Nick Helbig, DL
Wake Forest’s most intriguing defensive lineman in 2023 might be Nick Helbig, a transfer addition from Division III school Wesleyan. At Wesleyan, Helbig did what you’d want a Division III-to-Power 5 transfer to do — he dominated. Over three seasons, Helbig totaled 127 tackles, 35.5 tackles for loss, and 21 sacks and won NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2021. It goes without saying that the 6’2″, 275-pound defender has a hot motor, and he also has alignment versatility between 3-tech and 5-tech.
Jasheen Davis, EDGE
The Demon Deacons lost Rondell Bothroyd to the transfer portal, but Jasheen Davis should have no trouble taking over as the team’s primary EDGE threat. Davis is a 6’3″, 250-pound maniac in pursuit who plays with near unmatched urgency.
That hot motor assisted in earning him seven sacks and 14 TFLs in 2022. But Davis isn’t just a pure-effort rusher. He has good burst, effervescent lateral twitch, and the length to drive power against tackles.
Kendron Wayman, EDGE
Opposite Davis, Kendron Wayman could be a player due for a breakout. Wayman put up three sacks and 4.5 TFLs in 2022 and had a very strong spring game performance, racking up 2.5 sacks and 3.5 TFLs in that showcase. At 6’4″, 250 pounds, Wayman has the frame and length to set the edge, as well as wrangle runners in pursuit. And he’s noticeably explosive off the line, with the knee drive to surge into contact and close gaps quickly.
Chase Jones, LB
Chase Jones could field interest as a potential sleeper LB in the 2024 NFL Draft class. The 6’1″, 231-pound linebacker was one of Wake Forest’s leading tacklers in 2022, with 74 takedowns, six TFLs, two sacks, a pick, two pass deflections, a forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. Jones is a fleet-footed cover man who can scrape through congestion to follow his man, and he also has the proportional length and forceful style to pry through second-level blocks.
Jacob Roberts, LB
Alongside Jones, FCS transfer addition Jacob Roberts will be a player to watch, who could leverage his new FBS stage into an NFL Draft rise. The 6’1″, 235-pound second-level defender was a force across three seasons for North Carolina A&T. Over that span, he amassed 218 total tackles, 29.5 TFLs, 9.5 sacks, five interceptions, and ten pass deflections. He also proved his utility on special teams with six blocked kicks.
Caelen Carson, CB
Though Caelen Carson’s production — two interceptions and 14 pass deflections over the past two seasons — won’t draw early-round attention on its own, the film makes clear that Carson has special natural ability. At 6’0″, 195 pounds, his game features hyperactive foot speed and short-area twitch, snappy hip fluidity, as well as extreme explosive capacity coming downhill. He’s a feisty cover man with all the necessary tools, and could have eventual NFL starter upside.
Evan Slocum, DB
After doing his part to accumulate 45 tackles, two TFLs, and three pass deflections in 2022, Evan Slocum is another name to watch in Wake Forest’s talented secondary. At 5’10”, 190 pounds, he lacks the elite physical traits to lock in draft capital. And in 2023, he can stand to shore up his pursuit angles in support and quicken his reaction speed to route breaks. But regardless, he’s a high-energy defender who doesn’t shy away from a challenge.
Malik Mustapha, S
With Garnes overtop, Malik Mustapha is in position to shine for another season as the team’s enforcing safety. The 5’10”, 205-pound playmaker logged 58 tackles, eight TFLs, 3.5 sacks, three pass breakups, and two forced fumbles in 2022. He’s a relentless pursuit defender in the box with tenacious physicality. He not only has the explosiveness and range to close gaps in support but the resolve to finish both as a tackler and pass rusher.
Chelen Garnes, S
Carson and Mustapha are young, up-and-coming players in Wake Forest’s secondary, but veteran safety Chelen Garnes is arguably the anchor of the group. The 5’11”, 200-pound defender put up 71 tackles, two TFLs, a sack, a pick, and three pass breakups in 2022. His strong frame helps him finish tackles in support, but he also flashes very impressive range in space on the back end, and he can use that range to cut off rushing angles.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons Schedule
- Week 1
BYE - Week 2
Aug. 31: vs. Elon Phoenix - Week 3
Sept. 9: vs. Vanderbilt Commodores - Week 4
Sept. 16: at Old Dominion Monarchs - Week 5
Sept. 23: vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets - Week 6
BYE - Week 7
Oct. 7: at Clemson Tigers - Week 8
Oct. 14: at Virginia Tech Hokies - Week 9
Oct. 21: vs. Pittsburgh Panthers - Week 10
Oct. 28: vs. Florida State Seminoles - Week 11
Nov. 2: at Duke Blue Devils - Week 12
Nov. 11: vs. NC State Wolfpack - Week 13
Nov. 18: at Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Week 14
Nov. 25: at Syracuse Orange - Week 15
BYE