Wake Forest Transfer Portal Tracker: Analyzing Every Player Coming In and Out This Winter

This article breaks down all the offseason transfer portal activity for the Demon Deacons' college football program, covering every addition and departure, position-by-position impact, and what it means for the team's future.

Dec 6, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils wide receiver Kavon Simmons (19) and wide receiver Chase Tyler (11) celebrate after winning the ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

After a successful first season under Head Coach Jake Dickert, Wake Forest Football culminated its 2025 season with a bowl win (and a mayo bath!). However, in the never-ending cycle of collegiate athletics, the newly-extended Dickert transitioned directly from game preparation to the transfer portal recruitment process as the NCAA Transfer Portal opened on January 2.

Dickert is no stranger to recruiting to Winston-Salem, having just signed one of the highest-ranked high school recruiting classes in program history in early December 2025. (All Early Signing Day commits and signees can be found here.)

All Incoming Transfers to Wake Forest

Florida running back KD Daniels (21) makes yards during the second half of an NCAA football game at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 29, Florida beat Florida State 40-21.2025. | Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Position	Name	School	Remaining Eligibility
QB	Gio Lopez	North Carolina	2
OL	Ryan Berger	Oregon State	2
OL	Ethan Calloway	LSU	3
OL	John Ohnegian	Bucknell (FCS)	1
OL	Tolu Olajide	New Hampshire (FCS)	1
OL/C	Will Way	Weber State (FCS)	2
WR	Ny'Quavion "Ny" Carr	Miami (FL)	3
WR	Wondame Davis, JR	UTEP	3
WR	Drayden Dickman	Rice	2
WR	Kam Shanks	Arkansas	2
WR	Chase Tyler	Duke	3
TE	Landon Morris	California	1
RB	Kahnen "KD" Daniels	Florida	3
RB	Sawyer Seidl	North Dakota (FCS)	2
DT	Matt Herron	Weber State (FCS)	1
DT	Sydir Mitchell	LSU	2
DE	DJ Johnson	New Hampshire (FCS)	3
DB	Bernard Causey III	Georgia State	3
DB/LB	Vincent "Vinnie" Firenze	Dayton (FCS)	2
LB	Buom Jock	California	2
CB	Brian Blades II	Florida International	1
S	Joshua Patterson	Iowa State	4
P	Ethan Hyams	Sydney Swans Academy (AFL)
LS	Wyatt Freeman	Rice	1

• Ryan Berger, Offensive Line, Oregon State
  - Measurables: 6'4", 318 lbs
  - Featured against Wake Forest in the Deacs' 39-14 win in October 2025
  - 2 years of eligibility remaining

• Brian Blades II, Cornerback, Florida International
  - Measurables: 5'11", 180 lbs
  - Earned an Honorable Mention for All-CUSA Defense awards in 2025
  - 1 year of eligibility remaining

• Ethan Calloway, Offensive Tackle, LSU
  - Measurables: 6'7" 305 lbs
  - 4-star recruit in the 2024 recruiting class, via 247Sports Composite
  - 3 years of eligibility remaining

• Ny'Quavion "Ny" Carr, Wide Receiver, Miami (FL)
  - Measurables: 6'0", 185 lbs
  - Top-100, four-star prospect out of high school
  - 3 years of eligibility remaining

• Bernard Causey III, Defensive Back, Georgia State
  - Measurables: 5'11", 165 lbs
  - 1 forced fumble, 6 pass deflections, 19 combined tackles during 2025 season
  - 3 years of eligibility remaining

• Kahnen "KD" Daniels, Running Back, Florida
  - Measurables: 5'11.5", 203 lbs
  - 197 rushing yards, two touchdowns on 39 rushing attempts in two seasons at Florida
  - 3 years of eligibility remaining

• Wondame Davis, Jr., Wide Receiver, UTEP
  - Measurables: 6'1", 180 lbs
  - Had 26 receptions for 610 yards (23.5yds/rec) and 6 TDs in 2025
  3 years of eligibility remaining

• Drayden Dickman, Wide Receiver, Rice
  - Measurables: 5'11", 181 lbs
  - 37 catches for 323 yards and 3 TDs last season at Rice
  - 1 year of eligibility remaining

• Vincent "Vinny" Firenze, Defensive Back/Linebacker, Dayton (FCS)
  - Measurables; 6'4", 221 lbs
  - Career: 85 tackles, 3 INTs, 10 pass deflections, and 5 tackles for loss
  - 2 years of eligibility remaining

• Wyatt Freeman, Long Snapper, Rice
  - Measurables: 5'10", 201 lbs
  - Started 38 games at the FBS level
  - 1 year of eligibility remaining

• Matt Herron, Defensive Tackle, Weber State (FCS)
  - Measurables: 6'3", 285 lbs
  - 2nd Team All-Big Sky (FCS) in 2025
  - 1 year of eligibility remaining

• Ethan Hyams, Punter, Sydney Swans Academy (Australian Football League)
  - Measurables: 6'2"
  - Trained at Prokick Australia, an organization that trains Australian Football Rules players how to be kickers and punters in American football
  - Came to Wake Forest outside of the transfer portal

• Buom Jock, Inside Linebacker, California
  - Measurables: 6'4", 235 lbs
  - Career: 136 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 interception
  - 2 years of eligibility remaining

• DJ Johnson, Defensive End, New Hampshire (FCS)
  - Measurables: 6'4", 248 lbs
  - Earned FCS Freshman All-American honors in 2025
  - 3 years of eligibility remaining

• Gio Lopez, Quarterback, North Carolina
  - Measurables: 5'11", 203 lbs
  - Played under Wake Forest Offensive Coordinator Rob Ezell at South Alabama
  - 2 years of eligibility remaining

• Sydir Mitchell, Defensive Tackle, LSU
  - Measurables: 6'5, 355 lbs
  - Career: 7 tackles in 9 games at Texas; n/a at LSU
  - 2 years of eligibility remaining

• Landon Morris, Tight End, California
  - Measurables: 6'5", 240 lbs
  - 7 receptions for 94 yards and 2 TDs at Cal last season
  - 1 year of eligibility remaining

• John Ohnegian, Offensive Line, Bucknell (FCS)
  - Measurables: 6'2", 315 lbs
  - Started at Center for the Bison in 2025
  - 1 year of eligibility remaining

• Tolu Olajide, Offensive Lineman, New Hampshire (FCS)
  - Measurables: 6'5", 300 lbs
  - Started last 26 consecutive games at FCS level. Earned All-CAA First Team honors in 2025.
  - 1 year of eligibility remaining

• Joshua Patterson, Safety, Iowa State
  - Measurables: 5'11", 195 lbs
  - Brother of Wake Forest DB Devaughn Patterson
  - 4 years of eligibility remaining

• Sawyer Seidl, Running Back, North Dakota (FCS)
  - Measurables: 5'10", 175lbs
  - Ran for 897 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2025
  - 2 years of eligibility remaining

• Kam Shanks, Wide Receiver, Arkansas
  - Measurables: 5'8", 169 lbs
  - Earned First Team All-AAC honors in 2023 as a return specialist at UAB
  - 2 years of eligibility remaining

• Chase Tyler, Wide Receiver, Duke
  - Measurables: 6'2", 185 lbs
  - 4 receptions, 120 receiving yards in the 2025 season
  - 3 years of eligibility remaining

• Will Way, Center, Weber State
  - Measurables: 6'3", 290 lbs
  - Played 10 games at Weber State in 2025
  - 2 years of eligibility remaining

All Outgoing Transfers from Wake Forest

Oct 4, 2025; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons wide receiver Micah Mays Jr. (7) runs with the ball after a catch against the Virginia Tech Hokies during the second quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bishop-Imagn Images | Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

Name	Position	New School
Mason Andrade	RB
Chris Barnes	WR	Oklahoma State
Tate Carney	RB
Jacob Cosby-Mosley	S
Dominic Deluca	TE
Cole Funderburk	Edge	Marshall
Ben Grice	WR	Rice
Kendall Howard	Edge
Mateen Ibirogba	DL	Texas Tech
Darius Jones	LB
Harry Lodge	TE
Matthew Lusardi	TE
Micah Mays, Jr.	WR	Florida
Jeremiah Melvin	WR	East Carolina
Elijiah Oehike	QB	Bryant
Nathan Pahanich	OT
Drew Pickett	RB
Deshawn Purdie	QB	Liberty
Elijah "EJ" Reid	WR
Melvin Siani	OT	Texas
Ka'Shwan Thomas	DL
Ian VerSteeg	WR
Reginald "RJ" Vick, Jr.	WR	Colorado State
William Wiebush	S

• Quarterbacks
  Deshawn Purdie (618 pass yds, 6 pass TDs, 3 ints in 8 games in 2025) - committed to Liberty
  Elijiah Oehlke (No recorded stats) - committed to Bryant

• Running Backs
  Tate Carney (83 rush attempts, 339 rush yards, 7 total TDs in 2024)
  Drew Pickett (No recorded stats)

Mason Andrade (12 games, 1 rush, 4 yds in 2025)

• Wide Receivers
  Micah Mays Jr. (18 receptions, 302 yards, 2 touchdowns in 2025) - committed to Florida
  Chris Barnes (39 receptions, 547 receiving yards, 3 touchdowns in 2025 -- see article here.) - committed to Oklahoma State
  Reginald "R.J." Vick, Jr. (4 games, stats N/A) - committed to Colorado State
  Elijah "EJ" Reid (2 games in 2024, stats N/A)
  Ben Grice (12 games in 2024, stats N/A) - committed to Rice

Ian VerSteeg (9 games, 1 return, 15 return yds in 2025)

Jeremiah Melvin (3 receptions, 39 yards, 1 TD in 11 games in 2025) - committed to East Carolina

• Tight Ends
  Dominic Deluca (10 games, 1 rec, 7 yds in 2025)
  Harry Lodge (10 games, 12 rec, 110 yds in 2024)
  Matthew Lusardi (12 games, 2 returns, 11 return yds in 2025)

• Offensive Line
  OT Nathan Pahanich (No recorded stats)
  OT Melvin Siani (11 starts in 2025) - committed to Texas

• Defensive Line
  Mateen Ibirogba (12 games, 21 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks in 2025) - committed to Texas Tech
  Ka'Shawn Thomas (3 games, stats N/A)

• Edge Rushers
  Cole Funderburk (stats N/A) - committed to Marshall
  Kendal Howard (stats N/A)

• Linebackers
  Darius Jones (9 games, 4 total tackles in 2025)

• Safeties
  Jacob Cosby-Mosley (1 game in 2025)
  William Wiebush (stats N/A)

Position-by-Position Breakdown of Roster Impact

Quarterbacks

Jake Dickert finally has his quarterback. After losing both Robby Ashford and Deshawn Purdie after the 2025 season, the Demon Deacons have landed a commitment from North Carolina quarterback Gio Lopez, who has two years of eligibility remaining.

Lopez reunites with Wake Forest Offensive Coordinator Rob Ezell, who coached Lopez while they were both at South Alabama in 2023 and 2024. In the 2024 season, Lopez threw for over 2,500 yards and 18 touchdowns, and became a hot commodity in the transfer portal- eventually won by UNC. (Lopez went 21-36 for 201 yards in the Demon Deacons’ 28-12 dismantling of the Tar Heels this past season.)

What Wake Forest fans should expect from Lopez remains to be seen. Last season, under new North Carolina Head Coach Bill Belichick, the southpaw quarterback couldn’t replicate the same numbers at North Carolina as he had at South Alabama under Ezell, struggling en route to the Tar Heels’ eventual 4-8 record. With all that said, if there is any coach to bring Lopez back to his potential, it’s Ezell.

Wide Receivers

New Wake Forest Wide Receivers Coach Dyrell Roberts has hit the transfer portal fast and quick- much like the players he’s received commitments from so far.

Roberts has landed commitments from two deep threats in Duke transfer Chase Tyler and UTEP transfer Wondame Davis, Jr., each of whom had over 20 yards per reception last season (Tyler: 30.0 yds/rec, Davis: 23.5 yds/rec).

Tyler and Davis both replace the losses of speedy wideouts Chris Barnes and Micah Mays, Jr., who each left during this transfer portal window. Both Tyler and Davis are big-gain options and wide threats for new quarterback Gio Lopez, who didn’t have those types of deep threats at North Carolina last year (Leading receiver Jordan Shipp averaged 11.2 yds/rec.). Without a doubt, Roberts has recruited talent that can add another dynamic into the Wake Forest offense next season.