Wake Forest

The Demon Deacons enter 2026 built around veteran experience, headlined by North Carolina transfer Gio Lopez joining a defense that ranked 27th nationally last season at +4.5 points per game. Wake Forest's +4.4 overall rating places them 39th nationally, carried almost entirely by a defense that should keep disrupting ACC offenses while an offense grading out at exactly average (-0.0, 66th) tries to find its footing. Quarterback Robby Ashford returns as the starter, but he'll need new targets after losing Sterling Berkhalter (24.2 PPA) to Texas and Chris Barnes (21.1 PPA) to Oklahoma State, with incoming transfers Wondame Davis Jr. from UTEP (19.0 PPA) and Antonio Meeks from Louisville (11.4 PPA) expected to fill those roles.

JP+ projects 6.4 wins for Wake Forest in a season that hinges on whether the defense can continue its elite play while the offense develops chemistry with new pieces. The Deacons face a challenging slate with road trips to SMU and Louisville plus a home date with Miami representing their toughest tests, though home games against Stanford, Akron, and Merrimack offer opportunities to pad the win total. If Lopez and the defensive core maintain their disruptive standard and Ashford builds rapport with his new receivers, Wake Forest could push for eight wins again. If the offense struggles to replace its departed production, six wins might be the ceiling.