Josh Banks
Five Former Deacons Drafted by XFL
10/27/2019 10:47:00 AM | Football, Les Johns
Five former Wake Forest football players were selected during the recent XFL Draft as the re-emerging league gears up for its 2020 season.
The New York Guardians drafted former Demon Deacon running backs Tommy Bohanon and Matt Colburn II, with both being picked in phase five of the draft. The draft began with a pick for each team at quarterback, then had four phases with 10 picks each that were position-group based. Phase one was for offensive skill players, phase two was offensive line, phase three went for the front seven of the defense and the fourth phase was for defensive backs.
The fifth and final phase went 30 picks deep for each team with players coming from any position. Those picks were revealed in bulk and not assigned an order within the phase.
Bohanon played a combined five seasons in the NFL, beginning his career with the New York Jets and playing the last two years for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He's played in 68 NFL games, starting 30. He was most productive as a rookie in 2013, playing 371 snaps while grabbing 11 catches and rushing for 62 yards on 17 carries. Bohanon was a 12-game starter in his senior season at Wake Forest, contributing 23 catches for 208 yards and five scores.
Colburn was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Los Angeles Rams after finishing his Wake Forest career last season as just the 12th Demon Deacon to surpass 2,000 rushing yards. He's currently sixth on the all-time program rushing yardage list, finishing with 2,528 yards and 15 touchdowns. Colburn had a career-high 243 yards and three scores in Wake Forest's 56-35 win at Louisville last season, earning ACC Running Back of the Week honors.
The Tampa Bay Vipers picked up a pair of former Wake Forest defensive linemen, selecting Josh Banks with their fifth pick of phase three and picking Nikita Whitlock in phase five of the draft.
Banks signed an undrafted free agent contract with the New York Giants, but has yet to play a snap at the NFL level. He played 43 games during his Wake Forest career, starting in 33. Banks finished up his collegiate career with 107 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks and an interception that he returned 72 yards for a touchdown. He capped off his time at Wake Forest with two sacks for a loss of 26 yards in the 2016 Military Bowl win over Temple, the first of back-to-back-to-back bowl victories for the Demon Deacons.
Whitlock has been on contract with the Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants since graduating from Wake Forest following the 2013 season. His 49 career TFLs is second all-time for Wake Forest, trailing just Calvin Pace (1999-02) with 54. Whitlock was second in voting for 2013 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, with 82 tackles, 19 TFLs and nine sacks. He played in 47 games during his time at Wake Forest, starting 45 and finishing with 241 tackles.
Former Wake Forest offensive lineman, and proud founding member of the 'Beef Boys,' Ryan Anderson was drafted in the eighth round of phase two by the Houston Roughnecks. Anderson had previously been signed by the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins of the NFL since graduating last year.
Anderson started each of his last 42 games with Wake Forest, serving as a team captain as a senior in 2018. He was named honorable mention All-ACC, and was included on the preseason watch lists for the Outland Trophy and the Rimington Award.
The XFL 10-week regular season is set to begin the weekend of Feb. 8, 2020, the weekend following the Super Bowl. Each of the eight teams in the league will play 10 games, with no off weeks. There will be a two-week, four-team playoff to crown a champion.
The league has already secured major television deals, with the games set to be split between ABC, Fox, ESPN, and Fox Sports 1. Each team drafted 71 players, including the assigned quarterbacks, and will be allowed to carry a 52-player roster into the regular season.
The New York Guardians drafted former Demon Deacon running backs Tommy Bohanon and Matt Colburn II, with both being picked in phase five of the draft. The draft began with a pick for each team at quarterback, then had four phases with 10 picks each that were position-group based. Phase one was for offensive skill players, phase two was offensive line, phase three went for the front seven of the defense and the fourth phase was for defensive backs.
The fifth and final phase went 30 picks deep for each team with players coming from any position. Those picks were revealed in bulk and not assigned an order within the phase.
Bohanon played a combined five seasons in the NFL, beginning his career with the New York Jets and playing the last two years for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He's played in 68 NFL games, starting 30. He was most productive as a rookie in 2013, playing 371 snaps while grabbing 11 catches and rushing for 62 yards on 17 carries. Bohanon was a 12-game starter in his senior season at Wake Forest, contributing 23 catches for 208 yards and five scores.
Colburn was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Los Angeles Rams after finishing his Wake Forest career last season as just the 12th Demon Deacon to surpass 2,000 rushing yards. He's currently sixth on the all-time program rushing yardage list, finishing with 2,528 yards and 15 touchdowns. Colburn had a career-high 243 yards and three scores in Wake Forest's 56-35 win at Louisville last season, earning ACC Running Back of the Week honors.
The Tampa Bay Vipers picked up a pair of former Wake Forest defensive linemen, selecting Josh Banks with their fifth pick of phase three and picking Nikita Whitlock in phase five of the draft.
Banks signed an undrafted free agent contract with the New York Giants, but has yet to play a snap at the NFL level. He played 43 games during his Wake Forest career, starting in 33. Banks finished up his collegiate career with 107 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks and an interception that he returned 72 yards for a touchdown. He capped off his time at Wake Forest with two sacks for a loss of 26 yards in the 2016 Military Bowl win over Temple, the first of back-to-back-to-back bowl victories for the Demon Deacons.
Whitlock has been on contract with the Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants since graduating from Wake Forest following the 2013 season. His 49 career TFLs is second all-time for Wake Forest, trailing just Calvin Pace (1999-02) with 54. Whitlock was second in voting for 2013 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, with 82 tackles, 19 TFLs and nine sacks. He played in 47 games during his time at Wake Forest, starting 45 and finishing with 241 tackles.
Former Wake Forest offensive lineman, and proud founding member of the 'Beef Boys,' Ryan Anderson was drafted in the eighth round of phase two by the Houston Roughnecks. Anderson had previously been signed by the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins of the NFL since graduating last year.
Anderson started each of his last 42 games with Wake Forest, serving as a team captain as a senior in 2018. He was named honorable mention All-ACC, and was included on the preseason watch lists for the Outland Trophy and the Rimington Award.
The XFL 10-week regular season is set to begin the weekend of Feb. 8, 2020, the weekend following the Super Bowl. Each of the eight teams in the league will play 10 games, with no off weeks. There will be a two-week, four-team playoff to crown a champion.
The league has already secured major television deals, with the games set to be split between ABC, Fox, ESPN, and Fox Sports 1. Each team drafted 71 players, including the assigned quarterbacks, and will be allowed to carry a 52-player roster into the regular season.