Stop us if this sounds too familiar, but the Wake Forest defense is going to be heavily relied upon for any sense of a successful season in 2026.
That’s not a slight on the offense. To be sure, the offense has seen some personnel changes that may prove to be significant. Gio Lopez, the transfer from North Carolina, will be the new starting quarterback. It’s easy to see for those who were at Spring camp that this is a significant upgrade from last year’s uncertain two-quarterback system. There is depth at running back and receiver. The offensive line still has some question marks.
The Wake Forest Defense
But the defense…well, the defense is the thing. Sure, there were some losses from last season’s unit. And those holes are not easy to fill. Defensive back Karon Prunty and defensive line Nuer Gatkouth had big years. The linebacker group loses veteran play from Dylan Hazen and Quincy Bryant. And of course, the secondary loses Nick Anderson, who logically will be in the athletic department hall of fame someday.
But health (hopeful) and talent are going to be the defining themes for this year’s defense. If there were a way to make a coat of arms for the defense, health and talent would be at the centerpiece of it. And if you think the defense is not going to be significant in 2026, just look at who head coach Jake Dickert brought to ACC media days with him last week. Gio Lopez (because you always bring your quarterback if you can), defensive back Davaughn Patterson, and defensive lineman Langston Hardy.
Getting Healthy
Patterson falls under both sides of the coat of arms. The talent is undeniable. He is the leader in the secondary this season. His health is an undeniable asset. In his third season at Wake Forest, Patterson had 80 tackles in 2025, including four for a loss. Those are good numbers under any circumstances. “So, I played through a sports hernia in each groin throughout most of the year,” Patterson told the media at the ACC event last week. “I didn’t want to let my team down. It was always just bigger than me. If I could play through it, I’m going to try my hardest to play through it and ignore the pain, ignore any other factors because I wanted to do it for my team, and I wanted to show up, and I didn’t want to let my teammates down.” Leadership found.
The secondary will also be getting Sascha Garcia back. He missed all of last season when he tore up his ankle early in Spring camp. The return this last Spring and what it means to the quality and depth of the secondary was evident.
Rushaun Tongue, a holdover from the Dave Clawson era, was good enough to be named a starter last year. But he suffered a shoulder injury in week two against Western Carolina and never made it back in 2025. His Spring camp would give people reason for optimism.
The defensive front of Hardy, along with his brother Cameron, Gabe Kirschke, Dallas Afalava, and Zach Lohavichan could very well be the strength of the team, although depth will need to be a work in progress when Fall camp starts.
Hardy talked about the potential for the defensive line. “I think the biggest thing is, like, we always talk about how connection is our edge,” he said last week. “It just really allows us to have that better form of communication out there where I can look to my right and see Dallas or see Zach and be like, okay, we’re going to run this stunt, just by the way I look at him. It’s that type of connection that’s something that’s going to help us make a lot of plays this season.”
Hardy talked about how, even with the losses from last year’s defense, there is enough returning talent and health to potentially be a difference maker. “I think the fact that we were able to retain so many star players on this defense, and I think really at the end of the season after the bowl game we were kind of all sitting in the locker room looking at each other and realized, like, how good of a group we’re going to have coming back next year,” Hardy said at media days. “I think, like, being able to build off of guys like Davaughn Patterson and Gabe Kirschke coming back and really just focus on the minor details of our games and how we can help the overall team and how it’s going to help us have better results out on Saturdays.”
Fall camp for Wake Forest opens on August 3rd.
Main Image: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
