Wake Forest Athletics
Francis Looking to Become One of Lead Men Up Front for Deacs
3/12/2021 12:38:00 PM | Football, Les Johns
“Coach Cohen is going to play the best guys who will help us win the most. I’m going to work really hard to become that guy who can help us win. The better guy is going to play, regardless of what class they’re in.” - Royce Francis
With a focus on internal competition and depth-building, the Wake Forest defense figures to make great strides in 2021. The Deacs return nine starters and the 2021 starters will figure to have a combined 54 years playing experience.
That's a ton of experience returning, including on the defensive line that only loses Carlos "Boogie" Basham from its main rotation.
"In our room specifically, on the inside we're stacked," returning redshirt sophomore Royce Francis said. "We have a lot of depth and talent in a lot of spots on the defense. We have a ton of guys in three-deep who have played significant snaps. We really are looking to improve on what we did last year. As a collective, we believe there's a big leap to be made. We didn't fully achieve our potential last season. We're all working really hard so that we can realize that potential in the fall."
Defensive line coach Dave Cohen was really pleased with the effort he saw from his group in the Duke's Mayo Bowl against the huge offensive line of Wisconsin, but believes production should have been greater and more consistent through the 2020 season.
"We have the talent, and with the talent we have in the room, we should be able to take over games," Francis said. "That's something we didn't do consistently enough last season. I agree that we could have been more productive. We have a great group coming back, so that's something on which we can improve this year."
Sulaiman Kamara and Miles Fox are returning for an extra season allowed by the NCAA because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Wake Forest staff has brought in talented 2021 class recruits and key transfers to bolster the overall depth on the line.
Despite that, Francis believes training and practice habits are the key to having a bigger role himself in 2021.
"I don't know if I would call it a logjam," he said. "I believe coach Cohen is going to play the best guys who will help us win the most. I'm going to work really hard to become that guy who can help us win. The better guy is going to play, regardless of what class they're in. It's not about Royce, it's about what I can do to help the team win the most amount of games."
Francis is a communications major with a focus on media studies.
"That just means I love to watch movies," he said with a laugh.
As it turns out, Francis watched around 100 movies a year, although his pace during the season is much slower.
"For me personally, it's just a passion," he said. "If that stays as a hobby for my whole life, that's fine. I just love it so much."
As with most everyone else, the pandemic has greatly impacted the way Francis has been consuming movies.
"We're not supposed to go to theaters now, so I haven't been to one in a long time," he said. "But there is something special about watching a movie on the big screen and going to the theater.
"For horror movies, I'd prefer to watch with friends in a living room situation. But the movie theater will always be my home."
Animated movies are his favorite genre.
"Animated movies have my heart," Francis said. "That always throws people for a loop. I just think that the genre allows for the most captivating things. It's beautiful to look at. Some of the movies that are made for children, you can tell. But there are others that are more adult in their themes and they are just fantastic."
As spring camp approaches, Francis' attention will alter from crashing the box office to rushing the quarterback.
"I'm super excited for spring," he said. "Last season was tough for us on a lot of fronts. We were dealing with things we've never had to face before. The way it ended left a little bit of a bitter taste in all of our mouths. We're looking to turn the page this season."
That's a ton of experience returning, including on the defensive line that only loses Carlos "Boogie" Basham from its main rotation.
"In our room specifically, on the inside we're stacked," returning redshirt sophomore Royce Francis said. "We have a lot of depth and talent in a lot of spots on the defense. We have a ton of guys in three-deep who have played significant snaps. We really are looking to improve on what we did last year. As a collective, we believe there's a big leap to be made. We didn't fully achieve our potential last season. We're all working really hard so that we can realize that potential in the fall."
Defensive line coach Dave Cohen was really pleased with the effort he saw from his group in the Duke's Mayo Bowl against the huge offensive line of Wisconsin, but believes production should have been greater and more consistent through the 2020 season.
"We have the talent, and with the talent we have in the room, we should be able to take over games," Francis said. "That's something we didn't do consistently enough last season. I agree that we could have been more productive. We have a great group coming back, so that's something on which we can improve this year."
Sulaiman Kamara and Miles Fox are returning for an extra season allowed by the NCAA because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Wake Forest staff has brought in talented 2021 class recruits and key transfers to bolster the overall depth on the line.
Despite that, Francis believes training and practice habits are the key to having a bigger role himself in 2021.
"I don't know if I would call it a logjam," he said. "I believe coach Cohen is going to play the best guys who will help us win the most. I'm going to work really hard to become that guy who can help us win. The better guy is going to play, regardless of what class they're in. It's not about Royce, it's about what I can do to help the team win the most amount of games."
Francis is a communications major with a focus on media studies.
"That just means I love to watch movies," he said with a laugh.
As it turns out, Francis watched around 100 movies a year, although his pace during the season is much slower.
"For me personally, it's just a passion," he said. "If that stays as a hobby for my whole life, that's fine. I just love it so much."
As with most everyone else, the pandemic has greatly impacted the way Francis has been consuming movies.
"We're not supposed to go to theaters now, so I haven't been to one in a long time," he said. "But there is something special about watching a movie on the big screen and going to the theater.
"For horror movies, I'd prefer to watch with friends in a living room situation. But the movie theater will always be my home."
Animated movies are his favorite genre.
"Animated movies have my heart," Francis said. "That always throws people for a loop. I just think that the genre allows for the most captivating things. It's beautiful to look at. Some of the movies that are made for children, you can tell. But there are others that are more adult in their themes and they are just fantastic."
As spring camp approaches, Francis' attention will alter from crashing the box office to rushing the quarterback.
"I'm super excited for spring," he said. "Last season was tough for us on a lot of fronts. We were dealing with things we've never had to face before. The way it ended left a little bit of a bitter taste in all of our mouths. We're looking to turn the page this season."
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