Wake Forest’s 2026 season opener arrives with the kind of buzz that only a first game can bring, and the Deacons are stepping into it with plenty of confidence around them. Tonight at Allegacy Financial Stadium, Wake Forest opens against Akron at 7 p.m. ET, beginning Year Two of the Jake Dickert era in Winston-Salem.
The backdrop is pretty straightforward: Wake Forest is coming off a 9-4 season that ended with a Duke’s Mayo Bowl win over Mississippi State, and the expectations have only grown from there. Dickert made it clear at ACC Kickoff in July that this team needs to come out fast, and he said much of what Wake Forest will be later in the year needs to show up right away tonight.
That urgency is easy to see when you look back at last season’s opener. Wake Forest hosted Kennesaw State and had to grind out a 10-9 win, a reminder that early-season polish is never guaranteed. This time, the matchup is Akron, and our editorial staff thinks the Deacons will handle business with room to spare.
Every week this season, the staff will make its picks, and the early read is unanimous: Wake Forest across the board. Not one picker went the other way, and the margin predictions were hefty. The average forecast lands at Wake Forest by 22.6 points, with an average total of 44.2 points, which shakes out to a projected 33-11 final.
Here’s how the staff sees it:
Alex Gendron - Wake Forest 27-13
Andrew Bauhs - Wake Forest 31-12
Barry Lewis - Wake Forest 34-10
Brandon Oakes - Wake Forest 34-10
JD Andress - Wake Forest 34-13
Justin Kontul - Wake Forest 38-10
Keylor Piers - Wake Forest 38-6
Sean Kennedy - Wake Forest 28-9
Seth Dowdle - Wake Forest 38-10
Will Kunisaki - Wake Forest 37-10
Sean Kennedy enters the season as the reigning champion, while the rest of the staff will be trying to chase him down - including the newcomers looking to make an immediate splash. And, of course, JD Andress will be talking like he owns the room.
The game is set for September 3 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and it will air on the ACC Network.
In Other News...
Wake Forest Mourns A Program Legend Whose Impact Went Beyond Records
Wake Forest lost one of the defining players in its football modern history with the death of Alphonso Smith on Sept. 2, 2026. Smith was more than a memorable name in the record book, although that part mattered plenty too, as the cornerback still owns the ACC career interceptions record and helped fuel the 2006 team that brought home an ACC championship.
His place in Wake Forest lore was already secure before his induction into the 2025 Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame, and his football path carried him from Winston-Salem to the NFL after the Denver Broncos drafted him in 2009. Smith later played for the Detroit Lions, but for Wake Forest fans, his legacy will always be tied to a program-changing era and the standard he set on and off the field. [Read more 🡒]
Wake Forest Opens With One Big Test For Its Rebuilt Roster
Wake Forests offseason reset has been dramatic, even by modern college football standards. After losing 24 players to the transfer portal following the 2025 season, the Demon Deacons are set to bring in 18 new transfers as they try to rebuild quickly around a reshaped roster. The headliners are quarterback Gio Lopez and wide receivers Carlos Hernandez and Kam Shanks, additions that should give the offense a different look as the program tries to stabilize in a hurry.
The early test is interesting because the Deacons are also leaning on what remained intact. Running back Ty Clark III, along with defensive leaders Langston Hardy and Aiden Hall, gives Wake Forest some established pieces to anchor all the change. Akron arrives with its own problems, including quarterback eligibility concerns and the loss of key players on both sides of the ball, which makes this matchup a revealing first look at how much the Demon Deacons can trust their new mix right away. [Read more 🡒]
Wake Forest's New-Look Offense Took Over Fast Against Akron
Wake Forest wasted little time showing what its revamped offense can look like, jumping on Akron early and turning the afternoon into a showcase for explosive plays. Gio Lopez settled in quickly, the Demon Deacons stacked up points through the air and the defense added its own pressure with sacks and a turnover, helping build a commanding 28-3 halftime lead.
The big-play burst was the clearest sign that this group may have a different ceiling if the passing game keeps stretching the field like this. Akron did manage a late touchdown before the break, but Wake Forest had already separated itself and left plenty of room for the larger question now: how often can this offense sustain that kind of pace once the competition stiffens? [Read more 🡒]