Wake Forest Athletics
Close Bond and Time Building Chemistry Up Front for Beef Boys
7/11/2023 12:07:00 PM | Football
“We always take the time to celebrate with each other, hang out with one another and have fun.” - Nick Sharpe
As the first Wake Forest Football verbal commitment in the 2021 class, offensive lineman Nick Sharpe took on a role of leader during the recruiting cycle, staying in constant contact with other future Demon Deacons and top prospects.
Those bonds ended up being built nearly all from a virtual perspective as the class was assembled during the initial onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the bond between those guys continues to this day, despite the players being largely split up into their primary position groups.
"We're all just tight and celebrate birthdays and other special occasions," Sharpe said. "We always take the time to celebrate with each other, hang out with one another and have fun."
With the loss of starters Sean Maginn, Loic Ngassam Nya and Je'Vionte' Nash, conventional wisdom would dictate that it's a year of upheaval on the offensive line and that there would be an adjustment period ahead for the Demon Deacons. Not so, according to Sharpe.
"We already had a bond," Sharpe said. "With those guys getting an extra year, it allowed us to gel together and get more experience in practice."
Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson is confident in the group moving in to protect first-year starting quarterback Mitch Griffis.
"Because of COVID and the way we redshirt, guys like Sean Maginn, Loic Nya, Tyler Williams and Je'Vionte' Nash — many of them got two extra years," he said. "We feel good about who's behind them. On the offensive line, guys like Matt Gulbin, Nick Sharpe, Luke Petitbon and George Sell — if it was a normal cycle, these guys would have already been playing for us.
"They've had to wait an extra year. The big thing in the spring is of these guys we like who have a chance to be good players, how many of them can become consistent and dependable enough that we don't fall off."
Sharpe played with the first string offensive line most of spring camp, and is likely to be one of the up-and-comers given a shot when the two-deep depth chart is released closer to the season kicking off against Elon on Aug. 31.
"We have myself and Matt Gulbin who are producing, then there are a lot of guys competing at tackle," Sharpe said. "Even with the older guys in front of us last year, we felt like we had to compete. We were always told that we were just one play away. If they went down we had to step in there and be ready."
Entering his redshirt sophomore season, Sharpe is emerging as a young leader in the group, but is still learning plenty from established upperclassmen like Spencer Clapp and Michael Jurgens.
"They've played a lot of football, and they help us out," Sharpe said. "They don't make us feel like we're not experienced. They communicate with us the same as they did with those other guys when they were here."
The change in quarterback doesn't really change much about what the offensive line is working to accomplish, according to Sharpe, even though it appears as if Griffis is perhaps a bit more mobile and willing to scramble for yardage than Demon Deacon quarterbacks the last couple of seasons.
"Mitch does step out of the pocket a little bit more, but I have total confidence in Mitch," Sharpe said. "I love Mitch. I love his energy, aura and confidence. He allows the offensive line to be relaxed. Even when we're in a tough situation, he helps us relax and just play our game.
"He has confidence and energy. He can pick up those yards on a scramble, so we have to block all the way to the whistle. You never know when he might take off."
One of the few scrimmages during spring camp took place at Truist Field during a torrential downpour. Clawson thought it was important to get work with a wet ball, and the offensive line seemed to embrace the challenge.
"Ahhh man. It's raining?" Sharpe said the mentality was initially. "Once we got out there and started playing, it was fun. It really became fun. The energy we came with. We were playing in the rain on the new turf — we just gotta play.
"Then we understand we might have actual games like that, and we'd have to be ready to play with the right energy."
Those bonds ended up being built nearly all from a virtual perspective as the class was assembled during the initial onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the bond between those guys continues to this day, despite the players being largely split up into their primary position groups.
"We're all just tight and celebrate birthdays and other special occasions," Sharpe said. "We always take the time to celebrate with each other, hang out with one another and have fun."
With the loss of starters Sean Maginn, Loic Ngassam Nya and Je'Vionte' Nash, conventional wisdom would dictate that it's a year of upheaval on the offensive line and that there would be an adjustment period ahead for the Demon Deacons. Not so, according to Sharpe.
"We already had a bond," Sharpe said. "With those guys getting an extra year, it allowed us to gel together and get more experience in practice."
Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson is confident in the group moving in to protect first-year starting quarterback Mitch Griffis.
"Because of COVID and the way we redshirt, guys like Sean Maginn, Loic Nya, Tyler Williams and Je'Vionte' Nash — many of them got two extra years," he said. "We feel good about who's behind them. On the offensive line, guys like Matt Gulbin, Nick Sharpe, Luke Petitbon and George Sell — if it was a normal cycle, these guys would have already been playing for us.
"They've had to wait an extra year. The big thing in the spring is of these guys we like who have a chance to be good players, how many of them can become consistent and dependable enough that we don't fall off."
Sharpe played with the first string offensive line most of spring camp, and is likely to be one of the up-and-comers given a shot when the two-deep depth chart is released closer to the season kicking off against Elon on Aug. 31.
"We have myself and Matt Gulbin who are producing, then there are a lot of guys competing at tackle," Sharpe said. "Even with the older guys in front of us last year, we felt like we had to compete. We were always told that we were just one play away. If they went down we had to step in there and be ready."
Entering his redshirt sophomore season, Sharpe is emerging as a young leader in the group, but is still learning plenty from established upperclassmen like Spencer Clapp and Michael Jurgens.
"They've played a lot of football, and they help us out," Sharpe said. "They don't make us feel like we're not experienced. They communicate with us the same as they did with those other guys when they were here."
The change in quarterback doesn't really change much about what the offensive line is working to accomplish, according to Sharpe, even though it appears as if Griffis is perhaps a bit more mobile and willing to scramble for yardage than Demon Deacon quarterbacks the last couple of seasons.
"Mitch does step out of the pocket a little bit more, but I have total confidence in Mitch," Sharpe said. "I love Mitch. I love his energy, aura and confidence. He allows the offensive line to be relaxed. Even when we're in a tough situation, he helps us relax and just play our game.
"He has confidence and energy. He can pick up those yards on a scramble, so we have to block all the way to the whistle. You never know when he might take off."
One of the few scrimmages during spring camp took place at Truist Field during a torrential downpour. Clawson thought it was important to get work with a wet ball, and the offensive line seemed to embrace the challenge.
"Ahhh man. It's raining?" Sharpe said the mentality was initially. "Once we got out there and started playing, it was fun. It really became fun. The energy we came with. We were playing in the rain on the new turf — we just gotta play.
"Then we understand we might have actual games like that, and we'd have to be ready to play with the right energy."
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