ACC Kickoff Day 1: Wake Forest News And Notes

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Wake Forest fullback Jordan Garside and cornerback Kevin Johnson spoke with reporters on Day 1 of the ACC Kickoff. Here are a few nuggets we learned about the Demon Deacons today.

•Garside said that Wake’s offense will be more balanced instead of hinging on one playmaker, like it often was last season with Mike Campanaro. He thinks production will have to come by committee instead of repeatedly turning to one player.

•Orville Reynolds moved from wide receiver to running back this season, which Garside said was a move back to “his natural habitat.” He said that Reynolds is fast and explosive from the backfield, and that the success of the Demon Deacons’ offense depends on how often he can make big plays. “He looks good,” Garside said.

•Johnson said he and Merrill Noel believe they can be the best cornerback tandem in the country. “We’re trying to shut it down in the passing game,” he said.

•Wake Forest’s defense will look drastically different this year under new coach Dave Clawson. The Demon Deacons are scrapping the 3-4 defense and moving to a 4-2-5 scheme. Johnson said despite the differences in the two systems, it’s been a smooth adjustment so far. He said he likes having more defensive backs and more speed on the field at all times.

•Johnson said E.J. Scott, a wide receiver transfer from Virginia, and safety Thomas Brown will emerge as a couple of Wake’s best players this season. He added that both have made big plays throughout the Deacons’ 7-on-7 drills this summer.

•The mantra under Clawson has been “working harder than the best team in the country,” and Johnson said that Wake Forest is working harder now than it ever has before.