Wake Forest vs. Akron Preview: Demon Deacons Open Season Against Uncertain Zips

Wake Forest enters Thursday’s season opener as a heavy favorite, but uncertainty at quarterback gives Akron at least one interesting wrinkle.

Jan 2, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons cheerleaders run school flags across the end zone after a touchdown against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the second half at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

College football has officially arrived. Gone are the days when speculation and prediction rule the day. Now that the actual games are returning to the field, actual results will dictate the conversation.

For the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, this return comes in the form of a contest against the Akron Zips on Thursday, Sept. 3, in Winston-Salem. It’s a game that, at least on paper, doesn’t appear to have all that much intrigue. Wake Forest is on the heels of one of its more successful campaigns in recent memory, going 9-4 in Jake Dickert’s first season at the helm and capping it off with a Duke’s Mayo Bowl victory over Mississippi State.

Akron sits on the other end of the spectrum. While its 5-7 record in 2025 doesn’t necessarily scream juggernaut, it does signal that the Zips are making some improvement under head coach Joe Moorhead. Still, the program hasn’t had a winning record in 11 years and has often been considered one of the lowlier college football operations in the country. Driving home this point is the fact that the most notable headline Akron has landed over most people’s lifetimes came this past offseason when it announced that a lucky season ticket holder would be able to call the team’s opening drive against Robert Morris on Sept. 12. At least the marketing department is firing on all cylinders.

As for the matchup with Wake Forest, Akron appears not to stand much of a chance. The Demon Deacons are three-touchdown favorites, for crying out loud. But does that mean that this is a foregone conclusion? In some ways, maybe, though this is the same program that barely skated by Kennesaw State in 2025. Weird things happen in college football.

Akron’s Quarterback Situation Adds Some Intrigue

Akron Zips quarterback Reese Poffenbarger look over plays with coach Joe Moorhead during UA's Spring Showcase on April 25, 2026, in Akron. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Speaking of weird things, Akron’s quarterback situation is one of the strangest in the sport. And that’s saying a lot, given just how wacky everything surrounding college football is at the moment.

As of Aug. 31, Akron’s projected starting quarterback, Reese Poffenbarger, is embroiled in an eligibility battle. Poffenbarger spent time at Old Dominion, Albany, Miami, and North Texas, serving as the backup at the latter two stops over the past two seasons. He should’ve run out of eligibility at this point, but he’s applied for a medical waiver in an attempt to get a sixth year. The current status of that waiver is up in the air, meaning there’s a chance Poffenbarger doesn’t play.

Talk about intrigue.

If Poffenbarger is unavailable, it’ll likely be Brayden Roggow, a redshirt freshman who played in only three games for Akron in 2025, who gets the start. Either way, what Wake Forest will be dealing with is largely unknown. Poffenbarger barely played with Miami and North Texas, and the same applies to Roggow.

Whatever the case may be, Wake Forest should be able to handle it. If not, then that’s trouble.

Wake Forest Should Take Care of Business

Jul 17, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Wake Forest head coach Jake Dickert talks with the media during interviews at Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While Akron has some interesting pieces, most notably wide receivers Marcel Williams and Cameron Monteiro, as well as running back Jordan Gant, who ran for more than 1,000 yards a season ago, there are levels to college football, and Wake Forest is above the Zips. That means Dickert’s squad shouldn’t have any issue leaving Winston-Salem with a victory Thursday evening.

That doesn’t mean Akron can’t make things uncomfortable. Season openers have a tendency to produce weirdness, and Wake Forest learned against Kennesaw State a year ago that simply being the better team doesn’t guarantee an easy night.

Still, anything other than a relatively comfortable Wake Forest victory would be a surprise. The Demon Deacons have bigger aspirations in Dickert’s second season, and Thursday night represents their first opportunity to show that last year’s success was something to build on rather than a one-off.