A Veteran Group Back for More

7/4/2023 12:19:00 PM | Football

“It’s a talented room. Anybody can see that.” - Ari Confesor

By: Les Johns

With four of the top five receivers returning for Wake Forest in 2023, there's little reason to expect anything other than another explosive offensive campaign for the Demon Deacons.

With fourth-year sophomore Mitch Griffis slinging it to the likes of Donavon Greene, Taylor Morin and Ke'Shawn Williams during Spring Camp, first-year wide receiver coach Ari Confesor got a glimpse of the talent at his disposal for the upcoming season.

"From day one, you see steady improvement in terms of their game and how they play," Confesor said. "You see a group who continues to bond and improve, and care for one another. It's a group you love being around, because they don't only care about themselves. It's fun. We compete. Some guys have been banged up at times, but other guys have stepped up, taken the challenge and succeeded. It's been fun."

Also getting heavily into the mix were younger players like Wesley Grimes, Nick Ragano, Deuce Alexander and AK Kelly; as veterans like Jahmal Banks and Tennessee transfer Walker Merrill missed some time.

"You always have to look at the positives," Confesor said. "When you have guys getting banged up, other guys have to step up. So you have a lot of guys who got valuable reps with the ones and the twos, who wouldn't normally get those reps because of those guys. It's been a valuable experience that you can't replace and can't simulate.

"The speed of the game is just so much faster going against the first-string defense. That's what will prepare them for the fall. And the older guys obviously have a lot of accumulated reps. So it's good on the sideline for them to experience those mental reps and coach the young guys. I believe that's what those guys have done to help us continue to excel, is bring those other guys along even while they aren't out there. It's been beneficial for a lot of guys. I can't wait until we're all ready to go, but we've still made a lot of improvement."

While Morin, Williams, Greene and Banks were part of the process that hired Confesor, they aren't the only leaders in that room.

"That's all of them," Confesor said. "They all handle their demeanor differently, so some guys are more outspoken than others. That's no sign of weakness whatsoever. When they're between those lines, they're all focused and determined.

"They might show that in different ways, because some are more vocal than others. But if there's one steak, there's going to be 15 hands going for it, throwing punches. That's what you love. You have a group who is going to fight until the end, but they're going to fight together with each other."

Despite losing talented receiver A.T. Perry, who was selected in the sixth round of the NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints, the Demon Deacons return 59.9 percent of their receptions and 62.5 percent of their receiving yards from a season ago.

"It's a talented room," Confesor said. "Anybody can see that. It's full of guys who have produced at a high level, with tough, contested catches. They can take some hits and keep getting up. This is a group that's been battle tested and come out on the other side better for it. It's a good group and I'm excited to work with them.

"As a coach, you see the film and see the plays, but you look at the things that can improve. Even though we've produced in the past and had a lot of success, we aren't going to rest on those things. We're going to get better every single day and then let the results speak for themselves. We're going to keep fighting and keep improving one day at a time."

Greene, a rising junior, hauled in 37 catches for 642 yards and six touchdowns a season ago. He's an imposing physical specimen, who is on the cusp of breaking out into superstardom.

"He's just scratching the surface," Confesor said. "He has so much upside and ability. He's having an unbelievable spring. He's working his tail off, and he's getting better everyday. He's transforming right before our eyes. He's going to be special. He's exciting and makes a lot of plays, and loves to compete. He's hopefully going to have an incredible season for us."

The Demon Deacons open the 2023 Football season on Thursday, Aug. 31 against Elon at Truist Field.