Wake Forest, the state of Kennesaw trying to bounce back in 2025

With new coaches and teams looking for rebound seasons, Kennesaw State and Wake Forest have a lot in common in their first round on Friday evening in Winston-Salem, NC

Jake Dickert took care of Wake Forest, moving across Washington’s country. Jerry Mack is the new coach of Kennesaw State.

The two teams lost records in 2024 and will go with well -trained quarters at the start of the season.

Dickert’s mission follows the 11 seasons of Dave Clawson as Wake Forest chief coach before Clawson’s resignation. The demonic deacons launch 4 to 8 consecutive seasons.

“I think since day 1, guys have really adopted the change,” said Dickert.

Robby Ashford – formerly of Oregon, Auburn and Southern Carolina – will start in the quarter -Arrière for Wake in the opener, but the deacons of the Demon will count strongly on the Ball Bearer Demond Claiborne, who had 1,049 yards on the ground, 254 reception yards and 13 touched last year.

Ashford finished 23 of the 32 passes for 324 yards and two touched last season for Southern Carolina, without interceptions. He ran 227 yards and two scores in 41 races.

“It will not be a player; it will be us as a collective,” said Dickert.

Kennesaw State turns to Dexter Williams II as a starting quarter, making his debut with the team and after the Indiana and Georgia Southern stops.

“He played and was already at university,” said Mack about Williams, who passed 248 yards and three affected to Georgia Southern last year. “… He led the teams to victory. He just has a lot of experience, being on the field. He understands what he is supposed to look like.”

Another area to watch for Kennesaw State will be Davis Bryson, who started 11 games in the quarter last year and went to the receiver.

“I love myself with the ball in space,” said Bryson. “This is what I’m proud of.”

The OWLS, which went 2-10 last year during their first FBS season, will have a lot of questions in the first match, especially along the offensive line.

“Each time you get so many men in a room that has never played together, come from all different horizons … has really been a challenge,” said Mack.

Mack has recently been coach of the runners with the Jacksonville jaguars of the NFL. Until he was hired by Kennesaw State in December, his only previous job as a chief coach came from 2014-2017 to North Carolina Central, where his teams won three sports conference championships in the middle of the East.

– Field level media