Wake Forest
Demon Deacons

Wake Forest Team Report

Updated: February 03, 2012 03:17 EST

The Demon Deacons want to continue making strides, and there's no doubt that building depth and durability are among the goals after a disappointing finish to the 2011 season.

Wake Forest made it back onto the bowl scene, and that was a sign of significant progress after two years without a postseason opportunity. But losing five of the last six games left a bitter taste, with the Music City Bowl loss to Mississippi State sticking the Demon Deacons with a 6-7 record.

So breaking the trend of three consecutive losing seasons is something that must be addressed.

There's no doubt that quarterback Tanner Price has gained the confidence of his coaches and teammates after his two seasons with the program. There should be a chance for Price's leadership to blossom as he heads toward the latter part of his college career.

It's still a matter of building a solid platform around Price, and that's a tricky endeavor. There will be new receivers filling key roles and a revamped offensive line.

Losing four seniors from the 2011 offensive line could be devastating, though replenishing those spots has been something the coaching staff has been discussing for the past year.

There is an urgency with developing the linemen and the receiving corps. With such rising respect for Price, the Demon Deacons don't want to miss an opportunity to make the best use of his skills.

All this means that coach Jim Grobe had an unusual message on signing day. He said up to 10 players from the recruiting class could work their way onto the field right away. That would be a significant twist for a program that promotes redshirting players right away, but it's a signal that there are holes that must be addressed on the depth chart.

TOP OF THE CLASS

TE Zach Gordon (Carrollton High, Carrollton, Ga.) -- The Demon Deacons beat out several major colleges for Gordon's services, and his blocking ability and speed fit the mold of a potential play-maker. He could make the coaches go back to finding more ways for a tight end to be a major part of the game plan.

DE Josh Banks (Middle Creek High, Cary, N.C.) -- He could be a project, but at 6 feet 4 and 250 pounds he already has the size the Demon Deacons like to work with on the defensive front. He has played on the interior of the line, so he should arrive with experience from competing in multiple roles.

QB Tyler Cameron (Jupiter High, Jupiter, Fla.) -- He graduated from high school in December so he could enroll at Wake Forest, where he might be in line to be a dual-threat signal-caller. The most intriguing part of his makeup could be that he's a left-handed thrower, which fits nicely behind incumbent southpaw QB Tanner Price.

--WR Chris Givens opted to enter the NFL draft after setting a school record with 1,330 receiving yards as a junior last season. Even before the Music City Bowl, many of his teammates expected Givens to leave the program.

--For a program that has had incredible staff stability, there were two assistant coaches dismissed shortly after the season. With special-teams coordinator Keith Henry and co-defensive coordinator Tim Billings leaving, it gives coach Jim Grobe a chance to bring new assistants with new ideas on board. But it's rare that staff partings are initiated by Grobe, so that shows the perceived need for change. Billings ended up on the Memphis staff.

SPRING SNAPSHOT:

Practice begins/ends: March 20/April 14

Practice priorities: The offensive line will be largely reconstructed, and that's an important factor for QB Tanner Price's protection. The remaking of the line will be a priority, and the offensive backfield will be a focus as well because 2011 senior Brandon Pendergrass became the main rusher the last half of the season. There's also the matter of continuing to make certain the defense is headed in the right direction. It's time to build more depth at some spots on defense, and evaluating younger players who might start 2012 in key reserve roles will be part of the process.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "Everybody that had verbally committed to us stayed with us. . . . (We) may have to ask a couple of these guys to come in and play in a hurry, primarily from a depth perspective." -- coach Jim Grobe, who generally shies away from using freshmen and oversees a massive redshirting program for first-year players.

KEY LOSSES: The most visible loss is that of WR Chris Givens, who in three seasons went on a record-setting tear. His big-play ability might not be able to be matched, so that's a void that the Demon Deacons will seek to fill. RB Brandon Pendergrass finished his career with a solid senior season. Then there's the matter of losses along the offensive front; there were four senior starters in 2011, most notably OG Joe Looney. TE Cameron Ford and TE Andrew Parker also will be missed. The defense isn't exempt from losses; LB Kyle Wilber might have been the most reliable player on that side of the ball the past couple of years. The unit also loses S Josh Bush, whose two interceptions against Notre Dame catapulted him to third-team All-America status.

PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2012:

QB Tanner Price -- He'll be in his third season as a starter, and there's a sound foundation after his leadership role grew substantially in 2011. The left-handed thrower puts zip on the ball, which tends to put defenses on full alert. Price also has good abilities when running the ball, though some of that was tapered last season because the Demon Deacons wanted to keep him free of injuries.

WR Michael Campanaro -- He produced a number of big-time performances as a redshirt sophomore in 2011 and there might have been more if not for a hamstring ailment that struck him in the second game of the season. He's most effective in the slot. Some of his accomplishments might have been overshadowed by WR Chris Givens, who has left to enter the NFL draft.

CB Merrill Noel -- He's the team's lock-down defender in the secondary and he cherishes the challenges of taking on opposing teams' top receivers. The Demon Deacons like his aggressiveness, and he doesn't shy away from the spotlight.

RB Orville Reynolds -- He didn't play until the latter part of the 2011 season, when a potential redshirt freshman season was nixed because of depth issues. He didn't totally get untracked, and he should be a much bigger part of the mix when he's on board for a full season.

PLAYER NOTES

--RB Josh Harris was derailed by injuries after a promising start last season, and some thought he might seek another school after he fell out of the picture. But coach Jim Grobe has expressed renewed confidence in Harris, who appears set to remain with the Demon Deacons.

--C Garrick Williams is the only returning starter on the offensive line and is expected to carry a significant leadership role during spring practice.