Wake Forest Athletics
Deacs Conclude Practice No. 7
8/4/2017 12:00:00 AM | Football
By Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeFB)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest head football coach Dave Clawson put the Demon Deacons through a 2-hour practice Friday morning at the Doc Martin Football Practice Complex and McCreary Field House. Overall, the head coach was pleased with the team's performance.
"It was a good practice," said Clawson. "They had a recovery day yesterday and they were able to get treatments and rest their legs. I really like the way we came out today. There was a good energy level and a crispness to what we did. I thought it was really good, clean football. I thought both sides got better, it was a really, really productive practice for us.
"We got better today, and a lot of it is just their mindset. How do they come out, what's their attitude? Today they had a great attitude, the energy level was good, there was attention to detail, there was communication. When that happens, you get better."
On Saturday, the team will go through its first intrasquad scrimmage of the preseason. Clawson and his staff have a set of expectations for the scrimmage.
"I want to see clean football," said Clawson. "I want to see guys get lined up correctly, that know their assignments. It's not going to be a lot of fluff and a lot of different stuff. We're going to run our base stuff, and part of it is you're evaluating which freshmen you're going to play and who's going to redshirt, so that's a big decision coming up."
Wake Forest's defense is looking to replace multiple starters from 2016 and preseason camp is giving the staff the opportunity to evaluate the top candidates.
"I thought the defense, that first team period we did, they got lined up, there weren't any big plays we gave up," said Clawson. "Every day is a growth process. We replace four guys who are now making money playing football, and another guy, Ryan Janvion, who's working [out] for the Patriots. Those are five good players. Guys are breaking into starting roles, younger guys are playing more, and I was really happy with today."
Offensively, redshirt sophomore wide receiver Scotty Washington has been drawing lots of attention in camp.
"(Scotty Washington) is flashing. He flashed last year in camp," said Clawson. "I'd say he's playing with a lot more consistency. Last year, he'd make the spectacular plays. [This year], he's making the every-down plays and still then making the spectacular plays. He's learning to become an every-day player. He was like your typical redshirt-freshman last year, where some days look great, some days look like a freshman. Now he's looking like a guy who's played football. Now he's just got to carry over the consistency of his habits every day to practice and carry that over every day to a game.
"(There is) great competition between him and Cortez at that position. Those are two guys who both have a lot of ability and have proven they can play. I love that competition right now."
"If you notice what we've recruited, we're now starting to look at [tall] receivers like the people we play against. You can be 6-5, but you've got to play 6-5. The bowl game was the one game he played 6-5. He went up late in the fourth quarter and made that fade catch, which was a huge play, on a third down for us. The bowl game - I don't know if it was the 13th game, the bowl practices, him being in his backyard - he played that game like he was 6-5. I want to see that the next four months."
One of the top contenders to replace Ryan Janvion is redshirt junior Cameron Glenn.
"(Cameron Glenn) really hasn't played football in two years. He missed so much of last year with a hamstring ([injury), then he had a shoulder, and then he missed the spring. I think right now he's just so frustrated that he's missed time, at times he's a little ginger out there and still getting his feeling, but Cam has ability. You look at him as an older guy, but he's really not. He's missed so much time because of injury. Two years ago, we went all those games without being able to get a turnover, then he's the one who was kind of the can-opener against BC up there. Cam has ball skills, so if we can keep those two (Glenn and Jessie Bates) healthy at safety, we're going to be a better team."
Saturday's controlled scrimmage will be held on-campus and is closed to the public.
