Wake Forest’s place in the first ACC Football Power Rankings comes with a little something extra: the Demon Deacons are in the top half of the league after opening 2-0 and landing at No. 8.
That’s five spots better than their initial position in 2025, and it reflects a start that has been anything but ordinary. Wake Forest rolled past Akron in Week One, then survived a double-overtime battle on the road against Purdue in Week Two.
Now the temperature rises fast. No.
5 Miami visits Winston-Salem on Friday night at Allegacy Stadium.
The Hurricanes sit alone at the top of the conference rankings, taking the unanimous No. 1 spot. SMU edged Virginia for second, and the middle of the ACC is crowded enough to make the whole thing feel like a traffic jam. Stanford, meanwhile, drew the bottom spot in the inaugural rankings, though Boston College, Florida State, and Georgia Tech also picked up last-place votes.
Each week, ten writers on the editorial staff rank all 17 ACC teams, with the votes combined to produce the weekly list. In this first edition, Miami stands clearly in front, SMU and Virginia are tightly bunched behind them, and the rest of the conference is packed together in the middle.
Wake Forest’s climb is one of the more notable developments in the opening poll. The Deacs are sitting above several teams with stronger preseason profiles, and their reward is a matchup that will tell a lot about where this team really stands. Miami arrives after beating Florida A&M 77-7, and Wake Forest gets the test at home under Friday night lights.
Around the league, the rest of the rankings reflect a wide range of early-season results. Some teams are still idle, some are coming off blowouts, and others are already taking their first losses. The list is fluid, but the top and bottom are already taking shape.
Wake Forest hosts No. 5 Miami at Allegacy Stadium on Friday, September 18 at 7:30 pm ET. The game will air on ESPN.
In Other News...
Wake Forest Gets A Massive Friday Night Test Against Miami
Wake Forest heads into Friday night with a real measuring-stick opportunity after grinding out an overtime win against Purdue and now welcoming No. 5 Miami to Winston-Salem. Jake Dickerts team has some momentum, but the challenge changes fast against a Hurricanes group that brings national-title level expectations and an offense built around transfer quarterback Cam Ward. For the Demon Deacons, this is the kind of stage that can tell you a lot about where a program really stands in early season play.
Gio Lopez is set for his first ranked test since last season, and hell need Wake Forest to be sharper against a Miami team that handled the Deacons decisively a year ago. There is also the longer history hanging over the matchup, since Wake Forest has not beaten Miami since 1944. Between the ranking, the recent loss in the series and the chance to prove the Purdue win was more than a one-off, this one carries a little more weight than a typical Friday night game. [Read more 🡒]
Wake Forest Women Keep Rolling As Perfect Start Gets Harder To Ignore
Wake Forests womens soccer team kept its spotless start intact with a 3-1 win over California, another tidy result for a group that has spent the opening stretch looking every bit like a top-three team. The Demon Deacons have earned that ranking the hard way, turning consistency into their calling card while adding one more conference-scale win to a season that already demands attention.
For Wake Forest, the bigger story now is less about whether this is a good start and more about how long it can keep going without the pressure changing the way opponents approach them. An undefeated record tends to change the conversation quickly, and each new win only makes the challenge more visible for a team that has yet to give anyone a reason to look elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Wake Forest Must Solve A Miami Passing Threat That Looks Different Now
Miami is getting ready for Wake Forest with a passing game that has become one of the more interesting parts of this matchup, and Darian Mensah is already talking like a quarterback who expects the Demon Deacons to make him earn every clean throw. Mensah pointed to the need for solid protection and the kind of mental preparation that keeps an offense from getting sped up when a defense starts changing looks.
For Wake Forest, the challenge is less about the name on the jersey and more about how to sort out a quarterback who has handled the season well and has been comfortable executing plays effectively. The Demon Deacons know they will need to be sharp early, because Miamis passing threat now comes with enough rhythm and confidence to punish mistakes if the coverage breaks down for even a moment. [Read more 🡒]