This fall, Wake Forest will likely be looking up at the rest of the ACC.
As head coach Dave Clawson enters Year 2 of a massive rebuilding project, let's take a look at players to watch in 2015.
1. John Wolford
Wake's sophomore quarterback will have competition in the fall, but he's listed as the starter -- at least to start the campaign.
Wolford got better throughout last season, saving some of his best games for last. He also stood tough in spite of being constantly under siege behind an awful offensive line and with no running game.
In Wake's spring game, which has usually been a place where offense goes to die, he completed 22-of-31 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns to one pick. Pretty solid numbers, and if he can hang on to the job, his moxie alone is reason enough for optimism.
2. Cam Serigne
Wolford's favorite target was rising junior tight end Cam Serigne, who finished with 54 catches for 531 yards and five touchdowns. In the final two games of the season, he had 12 catches for 123 yards (10.3 per catch) and one touchdown.
Wake doesn't have a ton of explosive options in the passing game, and in spite of him being targeted so often, he still managed to produce.
Serigne could put up some big-time numbers this year as quarterback and tight end get more comfortable together, and as Wake adds a receiving option or two.
3. Brandon Chubb
Wake is going to have some question marks on defense this season compared to last, but Chubb and the rest of the linebackers won't be one of them.
The rising senior is going to be the centerpiece of the defense, and Chubb had 109 tackles a year ago (second on the team) including 6.5 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks and two forced fumbles.
Wake needs all the playmakers they can get on that side of the ball after losing Kevin Johnson and Merrill Noel in the secondary, and Chubb has gotten better each year.
4. Ryan Anderson
Wake's redshirt freshman center is projected as the starter headed into spring. Wake lost two starters on an offensive line last year that was bad to begin with, and yet there's still some optimism that it will be better because how could it not be?
It can't get much worse. Anderson has never played a snap of college football, though, and if he has a hard time adjusting to all the responsibilities of a center, then Wake's offensive line might pull off the difficult task of actually being worse in 2015.
5. Alexander Kinal
Kinal is very important to what the Deacons do. Because Wake has to punt.
A lot.
It's a bit of a dubious honor to say that he's one of the best punters in ACC history -- most of his records have been achieved due to the volume of his punts (he had 95 as a redshirt freshman, the most in league history) -- but he's also really good.
Kinal averaged 43.6 yards per punt last season, and 27 of his 81 punts were inside the 20. He also has never had a punt blocked. He's helped keep Wake alive in games over his career due to his big leg, and he can take at least some pressure off of the offense with his ability to flip field position.
