Six Wake Forest Football Players Earn ACC Preseason Honors
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Football season is coming up fast, and the anticipation is building in Winston-Salem. Preseason accolades are starting to pile up, and six Demon Deacons were featured on the recent Athlon Sports publication's 2026 preseason ALL-ACC Teams.
The six names featured were Langston Hardy, Carlos Hernandez, Davaughn Patterson, Aiden Hall, Clinton Richard, and Gabe Kirschke. Let's get into a deeper breakdown of these guys and their awards.
Athlon Awards 🏆 pic.twitter.com/2ji8EloUcx
— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) July 1, 2026
Defensive Dominance
Every fan of the Deacs knows that the defense played a pivotal role in catapulting the 2025 team to a nine-win season. Some key pieces both up front and in the secondary return this year from that team to make up a good defensive core, and the nation is taking notice.
Senior defensive lineman Langston Hardy was the highest-honored Deac, earning preseason second-team defense. He was placed on the 2025 All-ACC team and recorded 17.0 tackles for loss last season. This was the third-highest mark in the entire ACC last season and the most by any returning player in the conference. He will play a massive role up front for this squad.
Junior defensive back Davaughn Patterson was featured on the third-team defense. He was also on the 2025 All-ACC team, finishing with 80 tackles last year, which was second on the team. This year, he will be the leading returning tackler as he looks to continue to develop his game.
Senior linebacker Aiden Hall was also selected for the third-team defense. He was the third-leading tackler on the squad last season and really thrived in big games, including in the Big Four victory over North Carolina. He was also graded as the fourth-best linebacker against the run in the ACC, showing his physical presence. This year will be a big year for Hall as he leads the linebacker core.
Senior defensive lineman Gabe Kirschke was placed on the fourth-team defense. Last season, he ranked second on the team in tackles for loss and third in sacks. Kirschke also forced a pair of fumbles, which was tied for sixth-best in the ACC.
Offensive Surge
Two guys who will play big roles in the offense were selected for the Preseason All-ACC teams as well. Senior wideout Carlos Hernandez was on the third-team offense after finishing with a team-high in receiving yards. The transfer got off to a slow start at Wake but really went on a heater in the back half of the season. He was also featured on the second-team punt return, showing his explosive play potential in big moments. One key play came against Virginia, where he returned a punt for what would end up being the only touchdown of the contest.
Sophomore offensive lineman Clinton Richard was on the fourth-team offense. He saw action in just five games this past season with nagging injuries, but made his presence felt. He will play a huge role as the only returning starter on the offensive line this season.
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Justin is a student at Wake Forest University. He is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and aspiring finance major interested everything sports. In his freshman year, Justin completed an internship with the Wake Forest Ticketing Department where he gained some valuable insight into the sales and operations aspects of collegiate athletics. Before working with Wake Forest On SI, Justin was a contributing writer for Wake Forest’s student publication The Old Gold and Black. Currently, Justin serves as a student manager on the Wake Forest Men’s Tennis team. In his free time Justin enjoys spending time with his family and friends on the golf course and traveling.