As we countdown to kickoff in September, we’re doing a team-by-team opponent preview. This week, we're previewing Syracuse's matchup with Wake Forest on Nov. 25 with our friend Conor O'Neill over at Deacons Illustrated.

Offense: QB Mitch Griffis. I tried, I really did, to find a player other than the QB. But when you’re stepping into the shoes of the ACC’s all-time leader in touchdown passes (who also happens to be on the schedule in late November), this has to be the pick. Griffis looked the part of Wake’s next prolific QB in last year’s opener; it’ll be a different beast to be the guy throughout the season.

Defense: DE Jasheen Davis. Wake’s defensive line lost all four starters and that’s a little misleading. Davis out-snapped every other defensive lineman last season (611 snaps) despite only starting five of 13 games. He’s the key to generating pass rush and led Wake Forest with seven sacks last season.

Offense: WR Jahmal Banks. He’s not much of a secret after being third in receptions (42) and yards (636), second in touchdowns (nine) last season. But there’s still a feeling that Banks was just providing a glimpse of what he’s capable of — probably because he only had one start. The 6-4, 208-pounder is going to have a chance to be one of the best receivers in the ACC.

Defense: LB Dylan Hazen. A natural replacement for Ryan Smenda Jr. in the middle of the defense, Hazen was a good recruiting win out of Texas in Wake’s 2021 class. Hazen has progressed from playing four games and retaining a redshirt to being in the rotation as Smenda’s backup last season, when he had 31 tackles and was on the field for 221 snaps (PFF).

The bar remains elevated for this program that went into November with an unbeaten record two years ago and reached the ACC championship.

It’s just tough to see a best-case scenario being anything higher than finishing top five in the ACC and notching a win against any one of Clemson, FSU or Notre Dame.

What’s the middle ground between a rebuilding and reloading season? That’s what this season feels like for Wake Forest, at least now, before we get into fall camp and see how new pieces fit and how older players fit into new roles.

Repeating last year’s 8-5 mark or bettering it by a win or two might be the best-case scenario for a team in Wake’s position.

Wake Forest is immensely proud of its seven-year bowl streak. There’s a worst-case scenario in which Wake’s bowl streak ends, though.

Griffis could struggle to take over the reins. Wake’s offensive line could have a tough time making adjustments. A defense that was fairly average last season is replacing a whole lot, and if the new starters aren’t up to last season’s level, the Deacons will give up a ton of points.

The first four games are nothing to shudder about; it’s the back-to-back trips to Clemson and Virginia Tech, followed by home games against Pittsburgh and FSU, where things get real in a hurry. Three of four November games are on the road for a team that’s struggled to end seasons — even in an 11-win season two years ago, the Deacons were 2-2 in November.

Hmmm …

Can I plead the “FIF” answer this halfway through the season?

I’m inclined to say Dave Clawson’s program is still on the rise. But it’s an interesting quandary.

The seven-year bowl streak is four years longer than what had been previously the program’s longest bowl streak. There’s no denying the standard has been elevated and some disappointment in the fanbase for last season’s 8-5 record is perhaps the best example of that.

The question is just about sustainability.

Wake Forest isn’t going to consistently win recruiting battles for blue chip prospects. There’s always going to be an uphill fight of how much player development can Wake Forest achieve in offseasons and how much depth can it accrue, and then how do those aspects match up against the other programs of the ACC that recruit at higher levels?

And that feels like a tedious line to thread year after year.

Additions: WR Walker Merrill (Tennessee), DT Bryce Ganious (Villanova), LB Jacob Roberts (N.C. A&T).

Losses: QB Sam Hartman (Notre Dame), CB Gavin Holmes (Texas), DE Rondell Bothroyd (Oklahoma).

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