ACC Spring Football Wrap: Wake Forest

Jim Grobe's Deacs found a few answers on defense in spring practice and improvement at QB...

Reviewing Key Spring Issues: 1) Late defensive change – If Wake Forest had any transition issues with a new co-defensive coordinator system – it didn’t show in the spring game. The Deacs racked up six sacks and only allowed 10 first downs combined.

2) QB competition – Jim Grobe didn’t make a definitive statement on who has the lead after spring practice’s end, but the incumbent Tanner Price didn’t lose his job. After praising redshirt junior Ted Stachitas, he said in the school release on the spring game: “I feel as good about our quarterback situation right now as I could." The true sophomore Price won the job last season and started nine games – he went an underwhelming 7/14 for 49 yards in the spring game – while Stachitas was 8/11 for 73 yards.

3) Moving out of the triple-digit rankings – Using the spring game as your bellwether, defense appears to be on track…the offense, not so much.

Spring MVP:RB Josh Harris (Sophomore, 5-10 190, 720 rushing yards and 7 TDs in his career)

Breakout Offensive Player: QB Ted Stachitas (RS Junior, 6-2 205, 12/23 for 131 passing yards in career)

Breakout Defensive Player: DL Ramon Booi (RS Junior, 9 career tackles – a sack, tackle for loss in spring game)

Key Injuries: K/P Jimmy Newman (hip injury, no timetable for return).

Spring Game Notes: 1) Defense domination – The Deacs’ D kept the offense to three-and-outs or less in eight of the 18 drives on the day.

2) Harris the one offensive bright spot – The sophomore Josh Harris scored the only touchdown of the game and rushed for 85 yards on 12 carries.

3) Grobe impressed with competitiveness – Last year’s Wake Forest team had freshmen or sophomores starting at 17 different positions by the end of the season, which had its obvious drawbacks en route to a 3-9 season.

In Wake Forest’s spring game recap, Grobe said, “I think last year we were really young with a soft group of freshmen. Now we're a crusty group of sophomores. We're light years ahead of where we were last year. It's amazing how much these guys have grown up in a really short amount of time.

“We've been more competitive this spring than others. It's been full of electricity in the air this spring. I think that's a good thing for us.”

Quotable: Grobe on Tanner Price - "He's improved in about every way you could imagine physically, bigger, faster, stronger, all that kind of stuff. But I think probably the best thing for him was to get a spring practice under his belt. You know, last year we threw him in the mix without a lot of preparation, and so I think this has been a great spring for him. He's obviously improved physically, but I think by the end of spring practice he was starting to really feel comfortable with all the decisions that he needed to make and just seemed more like a veteran quarterback rather than a wide-eyed rookie."