For what seems like the first time in the history of the program, Jim Grobe will not be the head coach in Winston-Salem. Dave Clawson has been brought in after a successful run at Bowling Green, but he inherits a combined eight returning starters from a team that struggled to a 4-8 season. The Demon Deacons will also be without quarterback Tanner Price for the first time in four years, with a true freshman set to start the opening game. While the Wake faithful would certainly love a winning season to get the Clawson era off to a great start, patience will ultimately be the key to managing expectations.
Offense
The Deacs have been lucky to have eight years with only two quarterbacks, but a new era appears to begin this year with true freshman John Wolford getting the nod to start the season. There will be plenty of competition throughout the season, with junior Kevin Sousa, sophomore Tyler Cameron, and fellow freshman Travis Smith ready to step in if Wolford struggles.
The skill positions for Wake Forest are not much more stable, but there are some options with experience. Unfortunately, the Deacons lost their leading rusher in Josh Harris. On the plus side, Harris only accounted for 470 yards, so replacing that production should not be a tough task. Seniors Orville Reynolds and Jordan Garside look to be the top options running the ball. Reynolds was moved over from wide receiver where he had 12 receptions and nine rushes as a junior. Garside, who mostly played fullback and special teams as a junior, caught three passes for 17 yards in 2013. Redshirt freshman Dez Wortham should start off as the third back, but freshmen Isaiah Robinson and Tyler Henderson could steal some carries.
The Demon Deacons lost record setting receiver Michael Campanaro, but do return some young talent at the position. Sophomore Tyree Harris could be the breakout candidate after a true freshman season where he tallied 23 receptions for 225 yards. Harris does have work to do to move up the depth chart, however. Redshirt senior Matt James start the season as a top three option, and at 6'5", could be a major red zone target. Graduate transfer E.J. Scott comes to Winston-Salem from Virginia, where he accrued 32 catches during his career. Sophomore Jared Crump and senior Brandon Terry look like they will emerge as the third and fourth options in the passing game, True freshman Kameron Uter provides a big target and could see the field early. Tight end will be manned by the freshman Cam Serigne after an offseason injury ruled Zach Gordon out for the season.
All of the returning starters on offense are along the offensive line. Left tackle Antonio Ford is the only senior, but junior right tackle Dylan Intemann is a returning starter as well. High school teammates will be starting at guard, with sophomores Cory Helms and Josh Harris manning those positions to start the season. True freshman A'Lique Terry was a pleasant surprise and will start the opener at center.
Defense 
The Deacons' defensive line is a mixed bag, but none of the expected starters were starters last season. Defensive end Zach Allen is the only senior in the two deep, and will be book ended by redshirt freshman Wendell Dunn. They will be challenged by junior Desmond Floyd and another redshirt freshman in Duke Ejiofor. Wake Forest is replacing another player who has been in Winston forever in defensive tackle Nikita Whitlock. Junior Tylor Harris and sophomore Josh Banks are the expected starters inside, with sophomore Shelldon Lewinson and true freshman Zeek Rodney pushing them to start. No returning defender had more than one sack last season, so the numbers for this group will have to improve greatly.
Linebacker is a position that at least returns some experience and known talent. Junior Brandon Chubb was second on the team in tackles, and will start at the Buck position. True sophomore Marquel Lee will start at middle linebacker after showing positive signs as a freshman and improving even more during spring ball. Junior Hunter Williams held off sophomore Steve Donatell for the starting spot at the Rover side of the defense. True freshman Jaboree Williams will likely see a good amount of snaps while rotating in on the outside.
The deepest unit on defense is without a doubt the secondary. Two fifth year seniors man the corners, with Kevin Johnson and Merrill Noel recording three interceptions in 2013. Both should be steady in their final year. Sophomore Ryan Jeanvion is looking to build on a great freshman season in which he led the team with 95 tackles. Senior Anthony Wooding takes over at the other safety position to fortify the back line.
Special Teams
Redshirt freshman Mike Weaver beat out incumbent junior Chad Hedlund and true freshman Adam Centers for the place kicking job. Junior Alex Kinal had plenty of practice last season while setting the ACC record for most punts, and he performed well in doing so. Tyler Henderson and Orville Reynolds will return kickoffs, while Jared Crump and E.J Scott will handle punts.
Schedule
The Demon Deacons have a mixed bag of a non conference schedule, with four lower level opponents, but two road trips mixed in. Wake opens the season with a trip to Louisiana-Monroe and also travel to play Utah State. Home dates with Gardner-Webb and Army provide a good chance for Clawson to get off to a winning start. Within the conference, the Deacons will host Syracuse, Boston College, Clemson and Virginia Tech. Trips to Louisville, Florida State, NC State, and Duke are daunting.
Prediction
It is widely expected that Wake Forest will struggle in year one of the Dave Clawson era, but not because of his action. A very young roster, particularly on offense, will certainly have struggles against a strong conference slate. If the Deacons can win at least three of their non conference games, the season could be a successful one. The maturation of John Wolford (or whoever ultimately wins the job throughout the course of the season) will likely determine the team's fate. Venturing a guess, Wake will win three of four before ACC play, and manage a home win against Syracuse or Boston College to get to four wins.
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