Football Season is almost here. The long drought is almost over. July is when conferences host their annual media days events across the country as the launch events of the upcoming season. Last week, it was the ACC's turn with ACC Kickoff held July 15-17 in Charlotte.
Wake Forest head coach Jake Dickert, defensive lineman Langston Hardy , transfer quarterback Gio Lopez , and defensive back Devaughn Patterson had their turn in front of the media on Friday afternoon. We were in attendance and had conversations with all four of them.
Credit for the inspiration behind this article goes to our own JD Andress, whose insightful "What Did We Learn" column has become a weekly staple of our Wake Forest football coverage. Look for his first 2026 edition after the Demon Deacons ' Sept. 3 season opener against Akron .
So what did we learn about the Deacs and the upcoming season?
Last year, in Dickert's first year in Winston-Salem , the team exceeded expectations, winning nine games, culminating in a win in the Duke's Mayo Bowl over SEC opponent Mississippi State. After that success, needless to say, the expectations this year of Deacon Nation are not only to repeat last year's performance, but to take the program even further.
Jake Dickert at ACC Kickoff | Barry Lewis/Wake Forest On SI
However, Dickert, as well as the players, emphasized that Year Two might just be harder than Year One.
"I'm just a big believer that Year 2 is always harder than Year 1," Dickert said on Friday afternoon. He followed this with his own experience at Washington State , where they had a strong first year followed by what he called a "very average" second year.
When Devaughn Patterson was asked about the biggest challenge for the upcoming season, he said it was keeping players humble and making sure they didn't get too comfortable because they "had a little bit of success."
Dickert emphasized that teams must learn how to handle success, not just failure. As an example, he reminded us about Wake's win over SMU last season, which was followed by a "dud" against Florida State.
Last year, per Dickert, it took the team a few weeks to establish its identity and to know what type of team it was. His example of this was the Week 3 game against NC State. The Deacs took the opening kick to the house, went to the locker room at halftime up 24-14, but then went scoreless in the 2nd half while giving up 20 points, ultimately losing the game.
Chris Barnes getting away from the NC State defense, Sept. 11, 2025. | Evan Harris/Wake Forest On SI
"We have to know who we are before Game 1 than we did last year," Dickert said at ACC Kickoff. Last year, Wake figured it out, but it took too long. This year, the belief among Dickert and these players is that there is no longer a grace period.
There's a new man under center this season for the Deacs. Gio Lopez, who transferred to Wake in spring after spending a season in Chapel Hill, will be QB1. Lopez reunited with his former quarterbacks coach at South Alabama, Rob Ezell, now Wake's offensive coordinator.
Wake Forest quarterback Gio Lopez talks with media at ACC Kickoff. | Barry Lewis/Wake Forest On SI
One of Wake's biggest offseason questions-how quickly its new quarterback could take command-appears to have been answered before preseason camp even begins. After talking to Dickert and those three players, it's clear that Wake isn't waiting for its new quarterback to learn the offense, but, instead, the quarterback is helping teach it.
Patterson said competing against Lopez has forced him to work on disguising what the defense is doing. After practice, Gio will tell him that he knew Patterson was blitzing or recognized what he was trying to disguise. Dickert described Lopez as being comfortable and in control of the offense. More importantly, he said Gio gives Wake the ability to play more of a drop-back passing style.
"Connection is our edge," said Hardy in his breakout session. To emphasize this point, he talked about the experience after the Duke's Mayo Bowl win and realized, as he scanned the locker room, how many defensive players would be returning for the 2026 season.
He talked about knowing the players around him so well that he can look to his right, see a teammate, and communicate what they're going to do essentially through eye contact.
Oct 11, 2025; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Oregon State Beavers running back Anthony Hankerson (0) is tackled after a run by Wake Forest Demon Deacons linebacker Langston Hardy (11) during the second half at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
He also credited that connection with helping his own production. He doubled his sack total from UConn to Wake and talked about understanding how to play off the strengths of the defensive linemen around him.
Patterson added to this narrative. His conversation was that the defense doesn't necessarily need reinvention. It needs refinement. How does he want the defense to accomplish this? His answer was what any defense works on starting in fall camp - eliminating penalties, avoiding pass interference, avoiding offsides, avoiding roughing the passer penalties, and just cleaning up small details to become an even stronger unit.
Wake doesn't believe the next defensive step requires dramatic change. It believes continuity, along with communication and cleaner execution, can produce improvement.
Fall camp will begin for the Deacs in just a couple of weeks. Wake Forest opens the 2026 campaign on Thursday, September 3, when they host the Akron Zips at 7 pm ET at Allegacy Stadium.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/wake-forest as What Did We Learn About Wake Forest Football at ACC Kickoff .
