The Jake Dickert story at Wake Forest won't sit still.
- Coverage leans bullish — but with real dissent
- Win total 6 — line up since open
- Jake Dickert replaces Dave Clawson’s 29-28 run with a 9-4 roster and just 26% productio…
Head coach
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How past storylines turned out
Wake Forest's head-coaching hire held for another season.
How it developed newest first
May 11
Wake Forest signed a top-21 transfer-portal class — 33 additions headlined by Deshawn Purdie (QB) from Charlotte and Robby Ashford (QB) from South Carolina.
a top-3 portal class in the ACC this cycle
why it mattersGio Lopez's arrival as Wake Forest's top portal addition caps a top-3 ACC class for Dickert in his first season, doubling down on nine-win stability over roster turnover. ~ our read
Wake Forest: coordinator change reshaping a unit.
Wake Forest: the fanbase's identity shifting.
why it mattersJake Dickert's first season at Wake Forest begins with a 9-4 record, but the program's identity shift and uneasy fanbase signal untested challenges for a coach inheriting a middle-tier P5 school. ~ our read
Wake Forest enters 2026 rated No. 52 in 2025 SP+ (+5.7), up 41 spots from 2024.
why it mattersWake Forest leaped 41 spots in SP+ — the program’s 9-4 record and #74 talent rank highlight a quiet ascent, but the smallest P5 school’s identity hinges on sustaining momentum. ~ our read
Jake Dickert took over as Wake Forest's head coach, replacing Dave Clawson.
replaces 11-year head coach Dave Clawson (67-69)
why it mattersJake Dickert replaces Dave Clawson’s 29-28 run with a 9-4 roster and just 26% production returning — Wake Forest’s small-school identity meets its first test under a new coach. ~ our read
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The non-obvious thing to track
The obvious story is the marquee name; the non-obvious one is roster churn — a coaching change keeps a portal and decommit window open long after the introductory presser. Watch decommitments and portal moves in the next window — that's where this is actually won or lost, not at the podium. The boards are already there — one thread raises exactly this.
~ our read
Rooms tap to switch
The 'this hire changes everything' takes — new-era believers making the case early.
The 'show me the body of work' counter — resume gaps, scheme fits, and 'not that guy' reads.
Only 4 of 451 board posts mention it — below our floor to call a community stance. Shown as texture, not a verdict.
The boards ≠ the fanbase: a vocal, self-selected slice.
The range the bull case vs the counter
“Wake Forest Football coach Jake Dickert recaps win over Akron, previews contest at Purdue”
“Jake Dickert: Wake Forest needs to turn page from fall camp”