Wake Forest wrapped up a lighter Day 13 of fall camp on Thursday with the second scrimmage still ahead, and the final practice before that work started in helmets only. The Deacs opened with some fumble force and recovery drills, then moved into their usual position-group work. For the safeties, that included a deep-ball high-point drill with Jake Dickert himself launching 40-yard passes.
At the center of it all, Will Way stood out for more than his blocking. The center was the loudest offensive voice all day and took charge of the huddle when the team gathered at midfield. His connection with Gio Lopez was obvious, too, with Way lifting Lopez almost Dirty Dancing-style before the main portion of practice began.
Lopez continued to look like the quarterback trending toward the Sept. 3 opener, and Thursday was another strong step for him. His command of the offense keeps sharpening, and he looked more comfortable with both the system and his receivers.
He also flashed unexpected speed on what appeared to be an option run, turning the corner and outracing everyone for a 40-yard touchdown. His best throw of the day came in team work, when he fired a laser between two defenders and into the hands of Carlos Hernandez in the middle of the field.
Steele Pizzella had a tougher time finding that same rhythm. The ball was a little off more often than not, and he missed a wide-open receiver down the middle on a throw that should have gone for a touchdown, prompting a brief exchange with quarterbacks coach Dan Enos.
Even so, Pizzella’s confidence is clearly higher than it was in the spring. That showed up late in practice during two-minute work, with crowd noise pumping through the speakers.
He looked especially comfortable running the offense in that setting and leaned heavily on Deuce Lawrence, who keeps popping up in these camp reports and could factor into the screen game this season.
Among the receivers, redshirt junior and Rice transfer Drayden Dickmann made the biggest impression. He was active all over the field, and his routes looked sharper than anyone else’s on the day.
Both Lopez and Pizzella found him repeatedly, and most of those catches came with solid yardage attached. Chase Tyler also had a couple of noticeable plays, including a high-point catch over Josh Patterson near the right sideline.
The defensive line made its presence felt, especially as practice wore on. Cam Hardy and Tyler Walton repeatedly came flying off the edges to blow up plays and force throwaways and checkdowns. Kadear Dembele also had a strong day inside alongside Tank Pratt, with both showing better lateral movement than they did in the spring.
Wake Forest is back under the lights Thursday night for the second time this camp, with kickoff against Akron now just two weeks away.
In Other News...
Wake Forest Scrimmage Exposed What Jake Dickert Still Has To Fix
Wake Forests scrimmage was less about the box score and more about whether the Demon Deacons could handle the little things that decide games in August and beyond. Jake Dickert made it clear the staff wanted to see execution and situational responses, a useful checkpoint for a team still trying to build habits, and the day offered a mix of encouraging flashes and familiar cleanup work.
The encouraging part came from younger players such as Gio Lopez, who stood out in a setting built to reveal who is ready for more. The concern, though, was just as easy to spot, with holding penalties among the recurring issues the staff still has to address, and Dickerts group will keep attacking those details in the practices ahead. [Read more 🡒]