2016 season: 7-6, 3-5 in the ACC (T-4th in the Atlantic Division)
Head coach: Dave Clawson (4th season)
The most impactful departure from last year's Wake Forest team may come from the broadcast booth, not the football field.
Radio color commentator Tommy Elrod was unceremoniously dismissed last December following the uncovering of the "WakeyLeaks" scandal, one of the more bizarre stories of the 2016 college football season. Elrod, bitter that Dave Clawson did not retain him on the coaching staff when he took over as head coach, provided game plans and information to multiple opponents before they played the Demon Deacons.
Wake Forest still had a solid season with a spy in its midst, however, reaching the Military Bowl and upsetting Temple in its first postseason appearance since 2011. The Demon Deacons also snapped a four-game losing streak against Duke, and the two teams' matchup in the last game of the regular season this fall could have postseason implications for both squads.
Clawson named senior John Wolford the starting quarterback in fall camp, but redshirt sophomore dual threat Kendall Hinton had a lot of success against the Blue Devils last season before missing the last 10 games of the year with a knee injury and is likely to see action as well. Running back Cade Carney and preseason All-ACC tight end Cam Serigne are also back, and veteran defensive end Duke Ejiofor will again anchor a defense that only gave up 22.2 points per game in 2016.
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