Deacons Complete Fifth Spring Practice Session
3/25/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
March 25, 2010
Wake Forest completed its fifth spring practice session on Thursday and will prepare for its first spring scrimmage on Saturday at BB&T Field.
The Demon Deacons are scheduled to hit the field at about 9 a.m. on Saturday and begin scrimmaging about 9:30.
On Friday, the team will hold its annual Pro Day with representatives from most NFL teams in attendance. Wake Forest's most recent senior class will workout for the NFL clubs. The players will undergo strength testing in the weight room beginning at 9 a.m. The scouts will lead the players through the 40-yard dash, and various shuttle drills beginning at 10 a.m. at the Doc Martin Football Practice Complex on the Wake Forest campus. The outdoor drills are open to the public.
One of Wake Forest's primary goals this spring is to find a starting quarterback to replace the graduated Riley Skinner. Head coach Jim Grobe said that none of the candidates have won the job at this point.
"We've got a lot of energy but guys are hyperventilating right now," said Grobe. "They're used to having Riley out there and he calmed everybody down. They followed his lead and right now, there is no lead being followed. But there's a lot of energy and we'll find somebody, just nobody has got a big lead right now."
Among the candidates for Wake Forest's quarterback spot are redshirt junior Skylar Jones, redshirt sophomores Ted Stachitas and Turner Faulk, redshirt freshman Brendan Cross and true freshman Patrick Thompson.
Overall, the first five sessions have been about as Grobe expected.
"We've got a lot of energy and effort but it's too sloppy to feel good about it," said Grobe. "We've got guys flying around and running into lots of people but not (hitting) the right guys yet. Hopefully, we'll get that straightened out."
Among the players missing from spring practice are center Russell Nenon and linebacker Lee Malchow. Nenon underwent off-season shoulder surgery while Malchow is recovering from a broken leg suffered against Georgia Tech last season.
When asked if any players had surprised him this spring, Grobe pointed out junior offensive guard Joe Looney and redshirt senior defensive back Alex Frye.
"Joe Looney's emerged as our leader on offense," said Grobe. "He's the most emotional guy we've got. He makes you feel good about being at practice. He's always excited about playing.
"I guess the guy who's kind of stood out on defense is Alex Frye. We've been playing him at safety and at corner and he's really done great. He's really got (defensive coordinator) Brad Lambert excited. Alex has far exceeded our expectations. So far, he's been a pleasant surprise."
Wake Forest's spring game is scheduled for Saturday, April 17 at BB&T Field.
