Wake Forest Football Caps of Spring Ball, Turns Attention to the Summer
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The Demon Deacons have made it through another successful spring ball as they look to keep building for the 2026 season. After the Fan Fest on Saturday, the Deacs had two more practices this week to wrap up the spring. These were pretty light practices and a good way to correct some things coaches saw on tape from the Fan Fest exhibition.
Now the Deacs will have about a month off before transitioning back into building mode a little after Memorial Day. Dickert said this time will be key for the team to develop and grow stronger. Since the spring is now officially concluded, let's go over some spring standouts who you might not know now, but who really impressed and will have a big impact in the fall.
Will Way
It's not that often that offensive linemen get a lot of love; however, throughout the spring, it has been impossible to ignore the impact of transfer Will Way. He has taken the lion's share of reps at center throughout the spring and has provided a very consistent presence to that offensive line.
Center was a priority spot to replace this season, as Devin Kylany had exhausted his college eligibility after a very strong season in Winston-Salem. Way has come in and taken right where Kylany left off. This is definitely a positive sign for a new-look offensive line heading into the summer.
Cam Shanks
We have talked about him throughout the spring, but Cam Shanks is already becoming a weapon in the slot for the Deacs. The 5'8 speedy and strong receiver transferred in this season from Arkansas and has become a go-to target for whoever is taking snaps behind center. In the spring game, Lopez and Shanks hooked up on several occasions for nice pass completions.
After losing top target Chris Barnes from a season ago, people wondered who would come in and take on that role, and Shanks is putting himself in a good position to do just that. When slotting in with Carlos Hernandez, the Deacs have big plays waiting to happen all over the field.
Home stretch 🏁 pic.twitter.com/bpDr1cCPpO
— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) April 22, 2026
Vincent Firenze
With Frank Cusano and Aidan Hall missing time in the spring, younger guys got to take increased reps at the linebacker position. Vinny Firenze came to Wake this season from Dayton, and he has already left his mark on the field. He has shown he is a reliable option at linebacker with good instincts and a nose for the football. He and Buom Jock took on most of the starting linebacker roles and thrived for the defense. He will definitely see the field this fall, even with more guys healthy.
Deuce Blades II
Deuce made one of the standout plays from the spring game when he intercepted Gio Lopez's deep ball in the end zone that was intended for Jack Foley. This is just one of the many good plays he has made throughout the spring. He has shown he can be a reliable option in the secondary and can pick up a role very similar to that of Ladarius Webb and Karon Prunty a season ago. Defense and not giving up big plays will certainly be pivotal for this group, and Blades is a great piece to help with just that.
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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.