Wake Forest Demon Deacons College Football Pregame Quote, 08/25/2025

First off, I just want to thank everybody for being here. Obviously, you’re here because it’s game week, and it’s an exciting moment for our team, our program, our university. I think the biggest thing that we’ll continue to go through is what it takes to be a big-time college football program – and your guys’ dedication to our program and telling the stories of our players and our university is really, really big.

Selling out the stadium, getting all the sponsors, getting the boosters, getting the fans, getting the alumni – there’s going to be a lot of things that we talk about that we’re building together, and I’m really, really excited about it.

We’re really drawing camp to a conclusion. Last week was a big moment for our team, and we really set off three base principles that we need to accomplish. One was building a team. How do you go about that? You put these guys through a really, really tough process. I thought our connection level of our team is our edge, and we did it through competing. I thought that was awesome to see these guys bring it each and every day.

Forge identity was really, really important. I think as coaches, you have your schemes, you have things that you want to do. My challenge to our coaches was, “What can these guys do really, really well?” Too many people focus on what we want to do or what our weaknesses are. What are our strengths? Let’s lean into those strengths. When we take the field Friday night, we need to play to those strengths. We need to call to those strengths.

And I think it’s a call to the players. We’ve got a bunch of guys that have played a lot of football – go out there, be themselves, play to their strengths.

And you heard a lot of times through our program when we started camp: it’s about being built in the dark. We want really passionate and purposeful people here at Wake Forest – coaches, support staff, obviously our guys that are on the field. They understand why they’re doing it.

And the second biggest phase is we’ve got to hold them accountable to a standard.

Really excited about where we’re at and the players really taking control of our program. The coaches are going to set the vision. Our players are going to drive the action.

I think we’ve grown tremendously since we’ve been here December 20th, right? And I think that’s ultimately what we want to accomplish together, and I’m really proud of our players, our support staff, our administration. We’ve had a heck of a four weeks, and we’re excited to finally get this product to the field and hit somebody else.

A lot of announcements came out over the course of the weekend. We’ll start here with our three captains: Demond Claiborne, Nick Andersen, and Devin Kylany. Three guys that have just been phenomenal as far as the things that you guys don’t see. It isn’t just about being great players. It’s about who you really trust when the adversity of the season hits. Who’s going to be that guy who’s really going to stake a pillar in the ground and say, “We got this,” right?

And that adversity is coming – as soon as Friday. There’ll be moments in that game that we don’t plan for that we’ve got to be ready for. And we’ll lean into these three guys.

We had eight players get over 20 votes. Some coaches might say, “Well, that’s a lack of leadership.” I look at it just the opposite. I think we’ve got a lot of people that have invested heavily in our team and our university and its people. And I think that’s what you saw in that captain’s vote.

Really proud to work with those three men because this is their program. Demond has come a really long way. I’ve worked with Devin Kylany for a long time – since he’s been a freshman. And Nick Andersen, I believe, got 99% of the votes. He’s that guy. Just excited for those guys.

The other big announcement was the starting quarterback. Robby Ashford will be our starting quarterback for Kennesaw State. Really excited about what he did and what he put on tape. And it really came down to what I talked about earlier – just forging our identity on offense.

And I thought as we went throughout camp, he really showed what we could do with Robby at the helm. I thought he did the best job of taking care of the football, which is number one for me at that position.

Deshawn Purdie has a bright future – and remember this, he has a bright future as we go through our course together. I’m excited about what he can do, and he’ll be prepared and ready.

Told those guys yesterday morning. Told the team immediately after that. Excited about what Robby brings to us and his leadership, and those guys know what we expect. They’re the ones that make the most decisions on game day, and excited about those guys getting out there.

The other big announcement – I want to clear this up – Denny (Jacob) Dennison has left the team for personal reasons. I’m going to really leave it at that, but we’re going to move forward as a team from here.

And that really leads us into Game One – Kennesaw State. Our players know that we talk about all-in opportunity. This is opportunity one. Every opportunity demands our best. You only get 12 of these things. You practice football way more than you ever play it, and our guys are ready for this opportunity.

I want to start off by thanking the Winston-Salem Police Department. They will be our Game One sponsor. Chief (William) Penn has been here, I think, two times during camp. They actually got me – they brought in, I think, the all-star police team to go through a punt, pass, and kick competition against me.

I won’t give away the results – I think they’ll say that – but needless to say, they were pretty good in that area. Excited for that partnership. Chief Penn came and spoke to our team. It’s easy to see – you look at leadership at all levels – to see that man come in here and command a room. Our city and our community are in great hands.

Leads us into Kennesaw State. They’re just like us: new coaching staff, new offense, new defense, new special teams, countless transfer players. You heard me say it last week – this is a rules and principles football game. We’ve got to play extremely fast. We’ve got to rely on our techniques. We’ve got to be ready for anything.

On offense, Coach Mack is known for a little bit of what I call pace and space. His history at Tennessee all the way back to North Carolina Central – he’s a three-time MEAC champ, he was Coach of the Year in that league, he has tremendous pedigree. Their offensive coordinator also was a Tennessee guy, goes back to UCF, and the core of that Baylor space-and-pace offense.

They’re going to get you in a lot of space. They’re going to throw a lot of bubble screens. They’re going to take the ball down the field, and they can score in an instant. They’re going to go extremely fast. So our defensive players have done a good job of preparing for that pace that we’ll see on Friday night.

Defensively, it’s been great – I got a chance to watch a lot of Paris Musketeers film. I’ve learned a lot about the European League in Hamburg, Germany. But they play very aggressive. I would say they do not sit on their heels. They’re going to try to dictate the action – that’s been what they’ve wanted to do over the course of their time there.

Special teams coordinator is from Miami of Ohio. But at the end of the day, it’s about how we play. This game is all about us, and I want our guys to understand – they’re trained in a certain way. They’re trained in the dark. So when we step out on that field, trust your training. Understand your one-eleventh on every play, and whatever that moment requires, that moment demands your best.

There are going to be a lot of things that are going to be great and going to go our way. There are things that aren’t going to go our way, right? That’s when I want to see our team respond. That’s when I want to see our leaders communicate. Because our coaching staff has a plan, but once again, not knowing what they’re going to do – sometimes you can crumple those plans up, and we’ve got to go play football. Hard. Fast. Together.

And I think that’s what you’re going to see on Friday night. So excited about finally getting out there. Guys, I know we’ve talked a lot about this since December 20th – to get out there and represent Wake Forest University is an honor of a lifetime. And I’m really, really excited.

So with that, we’ll open it up to any questions.

Jake, what about Robby’s skillset and personality fit what you wanted the identity of the offense to be?

Well, we talked about physical football. And when I spoke to the team and I talked to those guys, there’s an ideal of offense that we’ll continue to shape here, but Robby right now – there’s a tough, physical guy in there. There’s a guy that plays with a chip on his shoulder. There’s a guy that has always competed, no matter what situation we put him in. And excited for him to take the next step.

Both guys were vastly different in their elite traits and skillsets, but I thought he did a really good job of commanding the offense. And I thought you saw that as we went into the second scrimmage. I think he had the best first scrimmage as well. But I think he just gives us the best chance to win.

And there’s an expectation of that position, just like there is in any other position. We expect him to go out there and have great body language, making sure he’s staying in the fight no matter what happens. And really, really excited about what he can do for our football team.

Jake, last week I asked you what were you looking for to make that final decision between the two quarterbacks, and your answer was: command. Command the locker room, command the huddle, command the sidelines. What did Robby do in those last three, four days that showed you that he had that?

To be honest with you, there’s a lot of things behind the scenes that I’m probably going to keep within our team that we did with him and his teammates and the offense. We’re just really confident in this decision. I want to make sure everyone understands that.

I thought our timeline was right. I thought we gave every person opportunity in that room, and I thought Robby won the job. And he’s going to continue to win it. And we’re going to work with Deshawn in every facet, because the future is really, really bright.

But I just think our team is ready. You could feel – finally – when… that’s a big decision. I think every member, whether you’re offense, defense, special teams, understood what that took to make that decision. And ready to move forward, and excited about the opportunity for Robby and our team on Friday night.

Obviously, Robby’s the starter, but you don’t want to have a quick hook. What’s kind of the balance of saying, “Hey, this is your job,” but Deshawn needs to be ready – and also, are we going to be able to see Deshaun on Friday night as well?

The plan right now is to play Robby. And I think we’ll go into that and we’ll navigate any situation that comes up just like every position.

We’ve only scrimmaged, right? And the best part about that position is – they haven’t been hit in a long, long time. But I do believe Robby has the great ability to get out of a lot of those situations and make big plays out of things that aren’t there. So excited to see that live and in action.

And we’ll just keep taking every situation as it comes. But I told him: there definitely won’t be a quick hook. I don’t want him playing thinking one mistake and he’s out. That definitely isn’t it. We’re convicted on Robby being our starting quarterback, and excited about what he’s going to do.

Jake, how much did Robby’s experience play into this decision?

Well, I think you take everything into account. But there wasn’t – he’s had starting experience. I mean, Deshawn played how many games last year before he got injured? And he hasn’t played football in a while. So it’s just all that stuff coming together that we feel like Robby’s the right guy to lead our football team.

Jake, there are a lot of “ORs” on the two-deep. Is that just a reflection of you wanting guys rotating during the game? That it’s not so much a first-string, second-string kind of thing?

Well, I think it’s a lot of things. I think there’s a lot of guys that earn playing reps and they deserve to be on there. And I think that’s really important.

Defensively especially, we’re really deep in some positions on the defensive line. That’s a unique luxury to have – especially our edge position. Those guys deserve to be on there.

And we will – especially in Game One, because of how fast Kennesaw’s going to go on offense – you’re going to see a lot of guys rotating in. We’ve got to stay fresh. It’s the first game. There’s a little anxiety. Everyone kind of wears out their motors pretty quickly. So I think it’s a little bit of that.

And I think it’s just keeping our opponent guessing a little bit on what we’re doing and who’s going to be out there in different roles. But also, through the game processes, some of those roles will be cemented. So we’re going to play a lot of different people – excited about getting those guys out there in different ways. So that’s kind of how that reflection of that chart looks.

Guessing game – you have so many new players. Obviously, transfer portal and immediate eligibility plays. Everybody’s a mystery at this point. And then you add in two new coaching staffs. Is this going to be like two punchers kind of flailing their way out from the first quarter or two?

Yeah, I think it is. And that’s what I meant – back to your rules and principles. Like, defense? You’ve got to shed blocks. You’ve got to play with extreme effort. That’s what this offense demands if you want to defend it.

I played a Tulsa team that played in this Baylor offense. I played a bunch of Utah State – comes to mind – that has played this style. You’ve got to shed blocks, and you’ve got to play with extreme effort.

Offensively, we talked a lot about the power spread and being physical. It’s got to show up now. And they’re going to be extremely aggressive, so we just have to make sure we’re worried about our execution points.

And then I think coaches – obviously the great ones are great in-game – to figure out what they’re doing, what we need to do to counterpunch that, and have kind of a bigger menu up than we normally would going into a game, just so we can navigate what they’re doing.

As a follow-up to that, we just talked to Coach Mack a little while ago, and he’s got Dexter Williams starting at quarterback – who threw 30 passes all of last year at Georgia Southern. How do you scout that?

Well, we watched all his PFF. And actually, Coach (Scottie Hazelton) Hayes got an up-front, in-person deal at Michigan State – he took one to the house on him on third down. So he remembers that vividly.

But you see a big, strong guy – I believe 6’1″, 210. He can navigate the pocket. He can create off-script. He’s got a great arm.

I don’t know if they want to just sit there and run him 40 times – this Tennessee offense isn’t really built on that style. But he’s capable of doing a lot of things and can hurt you off-script. And that’s not on any defensive coordinator’s call sheet.

So I think they’ve announced that for the last couple of weeks, so he must have been kind of a definite “their guy.” And we’ve got to be ready to combat that. But the skillset is high.

Last year he played some at Georgia Southern. So – same type of deal as Robby. I mean, you’ve been a little bit backup, you’ve been a situational guy. To be the full-time guy, there’s going to be a lot of excitement there, probably from both quarterbacks.

Going back to both these teams really having brand-new identities – is this a “solid for the sense of,” well yes, you are trying to figure out what they’re doing, but they also have to figure out what you guys are doing?

Well, yeah. And same thing – you can watch all the Washington State film or South Alabama or Michigan State you want. Hopefully we’ve evolved as coaches and schemes and different players and all that type of stuff, right?

I mean, it’s just hard – even through their roster – to watch Kennesaw State players offensively. The whole line’s gone. You’ve got a couple of receivers that were backups. Tailbacks are gone.

Defensively is where I believe they have six or seven preseason all-conference guys in Conference USA. So that’s where they return a little bit more of their guys – especially in the defensive backfield. I think those guys allow them to play more aggressive, and we kind of anticipate that with probably their ability to want to go out there and stop the run.

Coach, as a whole, how ready are you for your first game?

I would say this: going into the season, coaches always want probably one more week. Players wanted to play last week. So – we’re ready. We’re ready. It’s time to be tested. We need to – as an organization, as a program, as coaches – need to see where we’re at.

We are going into the season extremely confident. We’ve created a lot of belief and energy and strain within our team, and it’s time to get out there. And there’s a thousand seats left.

It is big for our program. When you want to get to that next level – Power Four teams – Allegacy Stadium needs to be rocking every Saturday, Friday, Thursday, whenever we play. So it’s really important. And I say that – that’s what big-time programs do. There’s a million people in the Triad. I know they love football.

I was at the Pop Warner games on Saturday, and the Triad Ducks took it to the Forsyth County Broncos. My boys had a good learn on there, and it was 49 to nothing combined. So a lot of good learns in the Dickert family on Saturday.

So just excited about taking that field, feeling the energy of the stadium. And it’s going to be a proud moment for me, my family, the players that stayed here, the players that joined us – I really mean that. It’s a big moment.

But we’ve got to channel that energy and emotion. We’ve got to make sure we’re playing within ourselves. And the first game – you saw it, like Stanford and Hawaii – there’s a lot of things that you can do to beat yourself, right?

We don’t get preseason games. You’ve got to be ready out the gate. And we’ve worked tirelessly in the last four weeks to be ready for this moment.

Talk about that Stanford game – how obvious is it as a coaching staff, even watching that, to say, “Hey, look, doesn’t matter if they’re Power Four or not – it’s still tight. It’s still execution”?

Well, yeah. I’ve been there so much coming up in my journey, I don’t tend to focus on that. I want our guys focused one play at a time. There’s no scoreboard expectation in this game, okay?

It is just – whatever the moment requires, our guys better be prepared and focused in that moment. Right? We’re preparing for a 60-minute battle. That is what it takes.

What I showed from Stanford-Hawaii is the sack dance, right? Fifteen-yard penalty – and that costs them three points. That’s the margin of victory. Right?

Showed the Hawaii returner fair-catching it off the bounce at the one-yard line. Ball’s down. Sack. Fumble. Touchdown. Those are the things our team has to be prepared and ready for.

But on the flip side, if it happens to you – it’s part of the game. Let’s keep moving.

I want to see our guys respond – constantly – to the game situations. And I think that’s what I’m most excited about seeing.

What would you define as success at the end of the season?

That’s so far in the future. I’m worried about success today, to be honest with you. I thought we had a really great practice this morning.

It’s the first day of classes. Throughout history, I would say the first day of classes – traditionally – your worst practice. Okay? Guys got a lot on their plate. They’re worried about their outfits and what they look like and trying to look good Day One. But just getting in rhythm and routine…

This is the first time in a long time where the first day of classes has been on game week. Everywhere else, we’ve already had a week to really get synced up with those things.

And our guys know why they’re here. This is an elite education. So our guys need to understand what that takes, and they’re going to be elite performers on the field and off the field. So excited to get into that rhythm.

But we’re just taking this thing one moment, one day at a time. And if we can do that successfully, we can stay in the dark throughout the course of the season – I believe we can create success.

Coach Mack went on and said NFL people are saying Demond Claiborne will be in the NFL next year. A lot of hype around Demond. A lot of expectations. Do you have to work with Demond to keep it all centered, so that the outside stuff – he’s not paying attention to it?

Yeah. I think Demond has a tremendous support system here. And we’ve been very – and that goes back to Coach Clawson, right? But we’ve been very just on top of what he needs. And I think that’s keeping his circle tight.

These guys have done a tremendous job working with him. And pressure is a privilege. It is.

He’s worked his tail off to get to this point. He deserves the notoriety. But at the end of the day, that doesn’t go out and equal production.

So I’ve seen it. We talked about social media the other day in the team meeting. When you win, people love you. When you lose, they’re against you. And it’s the same people. So just stay the course. Keep your circle really, really tight.

I think Demond’s done an excellent job of that. And all I want him to do is go out there and be himself. He’s a dynamic playmaker. He’s an elite competitor. He’s turned into a tremendous leader.

I’m really proud of Demond Claiborne. I can’t stand up here and say that enough – of his growth and our time together.

And he’s still 21 years old. Preparing for every facet of life – not just the NFL. I think that’s a big deal.

He’s taking a heavy, heavy course load so he can graduate after this semester. Just really, really proud of Demond, where he’s at. And we’re going to support him in everything that comes his way.

Ask about the other returning players – captain Nick Andersen. We’ve made a lot about you getting to know Demond right after your intro, freshman and everything. What was your process to getting to know Nick and getting to understand where he’s come from? I’m also curious if you knew about the game he had his freshman year during COVID and had three interceptions – was on NBC News as a freshman walk-on.

I’ve become familiar with that story. Just – what a story, right? Just in general. From a guy believing in himself, walking on at Wake Forest, taking a chance, creating success, doing it the hard way, earning a scholarship, All-ACC the last couple years.

I remember when I first met with him on video conference, because Coach Clawson said he was one of the top five guys that you better talk to immediately. There was no talk about leaving. It was, “Coach, we got this core of defensive players, we’ve created a great connection. We did not have success, and we’re hungry to go get it.”

And then we just started talking about him – his journey, his leadership, what he wanted to accomplish, how can I help him. I talked about some of the former safeties and players that I’ve coached that have made it, that he reminded me of – because they do it off of smarts and anticipation.

And you’re never going to look at Nick Andersen – and if Nick was here, I mean, just say like, “Wow, what a great athlete.” But what a great football player, because of how hard he works.

There’s been three times throughout the course of the last four weeks, he just stopped practice or the scrimmage and said, “Coach, I got him.” Says all you need to know about that kid.

And whoever’s watching – hire Nick Andersen when he’s done playing. For whatever job you have, hire Nick Andersen. That’s the greatest thing I could say.

If I didn’t call him for a recommendation – on Nick, it’s just simple. He just does things the right way. He’s a tremendous leader, and it’s an honor to work with him to lead this football team.

A couple weeks ago, Quincy Bryant said he and Nick and a couple other guys – through the coaching transition – had made a pact among themselves to stay. They said they owed it to Wake Forest because of what Wake Forest had given to them. Were you aware that these players had had that discussion among themselves?

No. But you could see those core defensive guys and the way they play in practice, the way they hang out in these seats, the way they are in the locker room – I think they’re really joyful that it worked out. You know what I mean? In a really positive way.

They took a chance more on each other than they did on me or Coach Hayes or our coaching staff. And it’s great to hear – in today’s world – that still means something to them. Because that WF? It’s got to mean something to you.

And that’s when we’re talking about 43 new players – those core guys have been through the wars with that jersey, with that logo on their helmet.

Guys like Quincy Bryant and Dylan Hazen and Nick Andersen and Davaughn Patterson. It means something to them, right?

They need to teach all these guys about that. They didn’t teach me about that, right? And I’ve been really proud to work with these guys. But you can feel it.

And I think that’s the best thing. It’s not about what they say – you can feel it. And Quincy’s been tremendous. And excited about the year all those guys are going to put together.

Speaking of the returners, one guy kind of pops in the chart – Zach Lohavichan. Not someone that’s a heralded returner, but is obviously heralded enough to be first-team nose guard. What have you seen out of him throughout the spring and the last few weeks of camp?

Toughness. Consistency. Shows up every day. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen him on an injury report. And that’s a nasty position in there.

His multiplicity – I think he’s grown as a player. And his story’s great. He came in here, and he earned it as well. So you need those guys.

Anytime I’ve been on real successful teams, you’ve had just those stalwart guys that nobody talks about that does their job. And it’s not flashy. Then all of a sudden you look up at the end of the season – Zach had four-and-a-half sacks, eight TFLs – and you’re like, “Man, I didn’t even notice that guy.” He’s one of those guys.

So all those guys will rotate tremendously – all those guys are going to be in there quite a bit. But he’s been a stalwart in that room with that defense and just really excited about where he’s at. Especially as an older player – those guys think they can’t keep improving. And Zach has done just that.

With Demond – obviously, he’s no longer on kick or punt returns. What’s kind of the role in terms of: not going to be able to get hit, keeping him fresh, but also saying, “Hey, we need to remind yourself how to get hit” before NC State comes in Week Three, Week Four?

Yeah. I think Demond – we’re really open and honest kind of about the plan there. And that doesn’t mean he’ll never go back there ever. But I think the amount of touches and carries and things that we want to do with him on offense – it was a unique blend of, “Hey, what do you need?”

I always go to the player: “What do you need to be ready?” And it’s a contact position. It was good – there’s a couple of defensive guys who were fired up a little bit on whatever practice that was, and he got kind of hit a couple of times. I’m like, “I like it.” He needs those things before he goes.

But we kept him in a lot of live tackle situations. His ball security history has been phenomenal. So there’s a couple things there that we feel good about – him being ready for Week One.

I appreciate everybody. Go Deacs.