Demon Deacons Earn Eight All-ACC Honors

Photo by: Seth Seebaugh

12/3/2024 4:00:00 PM | Football, General

Since 2019 Wake Forest is tied for the fifth-most All-ACC honors in the conference with 62 honorees.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Seven Wake Forest football players earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors, as announced by the league office on Tuesday afternoon. This marks the eighth-consecutive season the Demon Deacons have had six or more players named the All-ACC teams.

Wake Forest players have now cumulatively earned 62 All-ACC honors since 2019, which is tied for the fifth most in the ACC. With that the Deacs are one of just six schools to have more than 60 honorees in that time span.

Senior linebacker Branson Combs earned Second-Team All-ACC Honors, marking his third-straight season as an all-conference selection, having been named All-MVFC in 2022 and 2023 while at Southern Illinois.

Named Third-Team All-ACC as both a running back and all-purpose player, junior Demond Claiborne made the all-conference team for the second time in his Wake Forest career. Redshirt junior safety Nick Andersen joined Claiborne on the third team after leading the league in tackles during the regular season with 122 stops on the year.

Rounding out the Demon Deacon contingency, redshirt senior wide receiver Taylor Morin, redshirt junior offensive lineman Matt Gulbin, junior offensive lineman Luke Petitbon and redshirt senior defensive lineman Kevin Pointer all received Honorable-Mention All-ACC honors from the voters.

Second Team
Branson Combs (LB) - All-ACC (LB)

Combs was an impactful transfer for the Wake Forest defense all season long, ranking second on the team with 94.0 tackles and fourth on the team with 6.0 tackles for loss this season while also having 2.0 sacks, an interception, a fumble forced and a fumble recovery.
- The interception against NC State earlier this year sealed the 10-point overtime comeback on the road as his interception came with less than a minute to play in the game.
- Combs played some of his best football of the season towards the conclusion, averaging 9.8 tackles and added a pair of turnovers in the last five games.
- He has collected 10 or more tackles in four games this season including a season-high 14 against Virginia and North Carolina.
Throughout the regular season, Combs ranked as one of the best linebackers in the country according to Pro Football Focus.
- He ranks 21st in the FBS and 13th in the Power-4 with a 81.6 overall grade and his 86.5 run defense grade ranks fourth in the ACC among linebackers.

Third Team
Demond Claiborne (RB) - All-ACC (RB & All Purpose)

Junior tailback Demond Claiborne capped off a historic season in 2024.
- His totals for the season included 228 carries for 1,049 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. Additionally, he caught 23 passes for 254 yards and a pair of receiving touchdowns. Finally, he returned 11 kickoffs for 277 yards (25.1 average) and had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown at Miami in Week 13.
- Clairborne became the second Demon Deacon to ever log 1,000 rushing yards and 250 receiving yards in a season.
- He is the first Wake Forest running back to total 1,000 yards on the ground since Cade Carney accomplished this feat in 2018.
- His 11 scoring runs are tied with quarterback Sam Hartman's tally (11) which ranks second in program history from his historic 2021 season.
- Claiborne's aforementioned 100-yard return against Miami is tied for the longest play in program history, matching Alphonso Smith's 100-yard interception return for a touchdown against Maryland in 2007.
- The kickoff return for a touchdown marked the second of his career and he became the second Demon Deacon in program history to record multiple in his career (John Stone, 3 kickoff return touchdowns).

Nick Andersen (DB) - All-ACC (S)

Andersen was one of the best tacklers in the country and leads the Demon Deacons with 122 total tackles (10.1) which is 28 more than the next closest player on the team.

Andersen became the first Demon Deacon with 100 tackles in a season with Ryan Smenda Jr. in 2022.
His 122 tackles are most in the Clawson era.

In addition to leading the team in this category, Andersen also is the ACC leader with the next closest player totaling 112 tackles this season. Andersen's 122 total tackles also ranks seventh nationally.

Andersen recorded eight interceptions during his career, including a pair during the 2024 season. He sits just outside the top 10 in program history and has the most in the Dave Clawson era.

Honorable Mention
Taylor Morin (WR) - All-ACC (WR)

Two-year captain wideout Taylor Morin had a career season in 2024 and firmly etched his name in the Wake Forest record books following an incredible career. His highlights this fall include:
- Morin was the first Power-4 player to have a punt return touchdown in 2024.
- Finished his career with 61 career games played, which is tied with Michael Jurgens (2018-23) for the second-most in Demon Deacon career.
- Hauled in 21 touchdown receptions – ranks tied for fourth in program history.
- Set a program record with 2,974 career receiving yards and set the school record on Saturday vs. Duke. He passed Ricky Proehl's (1986-89) total of 2,949 yards.
- Additionally, Morin finished the season ranked in the top three on the ACC Career Active Leader in receiving touchdowns, receptions and receiving yards.
- Finished his career with a catch in 31-straight games – that streak ranked 19th in the country.
- With 809 punt return yards (10.6 avg.), Morin solidified himself in second in program history in career punt return yards behind George Coghill (1989-92) total of 1,002 yards in that category.

In 2024, Morin totaled 14 returns for 238 yards. That 17.0 yards per punt return average ranked third in the country entering Week 14.

Matt Gulbin (OL) - All-ACC (OG)

Matt Gulbin has graded out as one of the top offensive guards in the country according to Pro Football Focus.
- He was a top 50 guard nationally and ended the 2024 season with an overall grade of 71.6.
  - Additionally, that overall grade ranks third in the ACC this season.
- His run-blocking grade of 70.9 currently ranks 50th nationally among all qualified guards.
- In 806 snaps this season, Gulbin only allowed one sack.

Luke Petitbon (OL) - All-ACC (C)

Throughout the 2024 season, Luke Petitbon graded out as one of the top centers in the country according to Pro Football Focus.
- His pass-blocking grade of 88.3 ranks third nationally among all qualified centers at the conclusion of the regular season.
- He was a top 50 center nationally and ended the 2024 season with an overall grade of 70.8, good for fifth among ACC centers.
- His one sack allowed this season is tied for the fewest in the ACC among centers.
Petitbon won ACC offensive lineman of the week honors following a 27-24 victory at Stanford.
- He helped the Wake Forest's offense score 27 points and total 173 rushing yards, 245 passing yards, 23 first downs and an average of 5.4 yards per play.
- The Annapolis, Md. native graded 93 percent with three knockdowns and no sacks or pressures allowed.
- He paved the way for RB Demond Claiborne to have another career game. Claiborne produced another standout performance as he tallied over 200 all-purpose yards for the first time in his career, including 127 yards rushing on 23 carries. Additionally, the Aylett, Va. native hauled in three receptions for a career-high 62 receiving yards.
In a win over NC A&T, Petitbon helped Wake Forest's offense score 45 points and total 193 rushing yards, 320 passing yards and 26 first downs.
- The Demon Deacons averaged 7.5 yards per play.
- Graded 94 percent with three knockdowns and no sacks or pressures allowed.
- Paved the way for RB Demond Claiborne to notch his second career performance of rushing of more than 100 yards, leading the Deacons with 135 for the evening on 17 attempts.
- Wake Forest scored on all six of its trips inside the red zone and had five touchdowns.

Kevin Pointer (DL) - All-ACC (DT)

Pointer was impactful in the interior for the Wake Forest defense all season long, finished second on the team with 8.0 tackles for loss this season and second again with 4.0 sacks per game.
- Pointer had at least one tackle for loss in six games during the season and had a sack in five.
- He has totaled 17.0 TFL over the last two seasons and had a career-best 4.0 sacks in 2024.
Throughout the 2024 season, Pointer ranked as one of the best defensive linemen in the country according to Pro Football Focus.
- He finished the regular season ranked 41st in the country and sixth in the ACC with a 78.2 overall grade and his 83.1 run defense grade ranks fourth in the ACC among interior defensive linemen.
Pointer forced the first turnover of the Wake Forest season when he returned an interception 32 yards against Virginia in the second game of the season, leading to a Wake Forest score.