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The Wake Forest Demon Deacons had another practice in full pads on Thursday morning. It was foggy, but the Deacs still maintained a high level of energy. Coach Clawson told his team before the game, "we're going to go fast!" His team responded. The practice continued to consistent mostly of fundamental football, which is what spring practices are supposed to be about. There is no game planning, and coaches can truly focus on player development. Below are my observations from the first 45 minutes of practice.
- John Wolford continued to demonstrate that he deserves to be receiving the first string reps at quarterback. His throws have velocity, he is accurate for the most part, and he's releasing the ball faster. It's clear that he has a far greater command of the offense and feels more comfortable than he did last season.
- Isaiah Robinson was receiving the first string reps at running back. Coach Clawson admits that the team is "thin" at running back, and I agree with him. This is definitely a position where a true freshman like Rocky Reid or Matt Colburn could play immediately.
- Wake Forest is also thin in the secondary, specifically at corner. Junior Brad Watson is missing spring practice due to a wrist injury, and sophomore Bryant Gross-Armiento is out indefinitely after having surgery on his ACL. That, coupled with the fact that the Deacs lost two senior corners, and it's easy to see why they are so thin. Wake Forest does have a pair of promising corners arriving in the summer. Both Dionte Austin and Amari Henderson have legitimate chances to play this fall.
- Wide receiver is another position where Wake Forest is thin. Sophomore Tyree Harris and redshirt freshman Cortez Lewis looked good again today, but Wake is almost definitely going to have to play at least one true freshman at receiver. Jared Crump is currently sidelined with an injury, but will be fine when the season starts. Still, I would look for true freshman Steven Claude to have an opportunity to play immediately.
-I did not have a good opportunity to watch either the offensive or defensive lines today. The drills at the beginning of practice did not have those two units going against one another.
Wake Forest will have a scrimmage this Saturday at 11:30 a.m. at BB&T Field. It will be a great opportunity for fans to check out the team. The spring game is scheduled for April 11th at 3 p.m. at BB&T Field.