What Did Jake Dickert Say at His Most Recent Press Conference?
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Despite the season ending last month, it has been a busy past several weeks for Wake Forest football head coach Jake Dickert. Between the transfer portal, high school recruiting, and schedule releases, there has been a lot going on to get ready to make another run this coming season.
At his most recent press conference, Coach Jake Dickert addressed a variety of topics. From new transfers to tampering incidents to the progress of the new group in workouts, there was certainly a lot to discuss. Let's break down some of the highlights.
Influx of Transfers
You can tell that Coach Dickert is very excited about this incoming transfer class. The Deacs welcomed 22 transfers to campus at the start of the semester for winter workouts and spring ball. Two more will be joining the team during the summer.
The collective of players itself got a lot of attention, but Dickert did give a few names to watch. Gio Lopez, a quarterback transfer from North Carolina, comes in with a chip on his shoulder. Coach said he "has been told for the last four months that he's not good enough." He also said Gio has already taken to be a leading voice pushing the team forward, even though he's dealing with an injury right now and will not be cleared for a couple of weeks.
The defensive line was a point of strength last year, and the Deacs certainly want to keep that the same this season. We know they got guys like Langston Hardy, Dallas Afalava, and Gabe Kirschke back, but they still do have production to replace. Two names to watch that Dickert mentioned were DJ Johnson and Sydir Mitchell to fill in the gaps.
Tumaltous Tampering
Dickert did make sure to touch on the Melvin Siani saga that took place last month. For those who don't know, the Deacs had their star tackle signed to a contract for the upcoming season a little after the year ended. Then, with only a couple of days left in the transfer portal window, Siani entered (despite being signed with Wake) and signed with Texas quickly for a couple of million dollars.
Coach Dickert said that he wishes Melvin all the best, but said Wake Forest will pursue all avenues to make sure contracts are enforced. In this new era of college football, teams need to be strategic and protect their rosters. Dickert highlighted his unique perspective on the topic, as one of the few ACC coaches to come from the lower levels of college football.
Building Strength
While the coaching staff definitely sees promise in this new group, there are still a few ways to go to get this group where they need to be, according to the coach. He said this group may be quicker and more explosive than last year's, but they are not yet as physically strong. They are working hard in the weight room in order to build that necessary strength for a grinding power conference schedule.
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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.