Seven Demon Deacons Sign NFL Contracts
4/27/2025 7:28:00 PM | Football
Since 2017, the Wake Forest football program has had 57 players sign NFL contracts including having six signed in 2025.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The #ProDeacs family added its newest members when six Wake Forest football alumni signed NFL contracts on Sunday.
After the end of the draft the Deacs were hot commodities as the 32 NFL clubs raced to get their signatures. The six Demon Deacons all landed in different locations and are set to begin their NFL journeys at rookie mini camp in the coming days:
Since 2017, the Wake Forest football program has had 56 players sign NFL contracts including having six signed in 2025.
Last year, the Deacs had three draftees in the 2024 NFL Draft when San Francisco chose fourth-round pick Malik Mustapha, Dallas Cowboys selected fifth-round pick Caelen Carson and Minnesota Vikings drafted seventh-round pick Michael Juergens. The three selections were the most since four Deacs were taken in the 2012 NFL Draft.
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More on the Demon Deacons
After transferring into Wake Forest for his senior season, senior Branson Combs provided a pivotal spark for the Demon Deacon defense as he was named to the All-ACC Second Team. In 11 games, including 10 starts, Combs ranked second on the team with 96 total tackles, as well as fourth on the team with six tackles-for-loss. The Evansville, Indiana, native also recorded two sacks, an interception, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
Combs, who was invited to the 2025 Hula Bowl, recorded 10-or-more tackles four times throughout the season, including a career-high 14 tackles against both Virginia and North Carolina. Combs also recorded 12 tackles and a sack in the victory over Stanford, and 11 tackles against California. The senior also came away with the game-sealing interception in the comeback victory over NC State.
Prior to his time with the Demon Deacons, Combs spent five seasons at Southern Illinois. After starting his career as a wide receiver, Combs transitioned to the linebacker position, finishing his career with the Salukis with 177 total tackles, including 90 solo efforts, 12 tackles-for-loss, and 4.5 sacks, as well as six interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
In 2023, he started all 13 games for the Salukis while recording 86 tackles, including two sacks and 5.5 tackles-for-loss, helping him earn Second Team All-MVFC honors. Combs also added two interceptions, both of which came during FCS playoff games against Nicholls State and Idaho.
Throughout Jasheen Davis' Wake Forest career, he became one of the best pass rushers in program history, finishing his five-year tenure with the Deacs with 25.5 total sacks, the third-most in school history. Davis also finished his career second in career-tackles-for-loss with 51.0.
During his senior season, Davis totaled 33 tackles, including 17 solo efforts, across 10 starts. Davis also led the team in both sacks and tackles-for-loss during the 2024 season, having recorded 5.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles-for-loss on the season.
The Snellville, Georgia, native had his best game of his senior campaign against North Carolina, recording a career-high 3.5 tackles-for-loss, including 2.5 sacks, as part of a season-high seven tackle performance against the Tar Heels.
In 2023, Davis finished the season ninth in the country and second in the ACC with 16 tackles-for-loss. Davis also finished fifth in the ACC in sacks, compiling 7.5 sacks as a junior. Across the season, he had 49 tackles, 25 solo tackles, 10 quarterback hurries, and two pass breakups.
In 2022, Davis led the Demon Deacons with 14.0 tackles-for-loss and 7.0 sacks to help guide Wake Forest to its seventh consecutive bowl game and second-straight bowl victory in the Gasparilla Bowl against Missouri. His 14 tackles-for-loss during his sophomore season ranked fifth in the ACC during the 2022 season, helping Davis earn All-ACC Honorable Mention honors.
During his freshman season, Davis was named to the Second-Team Freshman All-American list by The Athletic as he helped the Deacs earn the ACC Atlantic Division title and a victory in the Gator Bowl over Rutgers. In total, he finished with 34 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and 8.5 tackles-for-loss and a forced fumbles during the 2021 season.
Taylor Morin wrapped up his Wake Forest career by solidifying himself as one of the greatest wide receivers in program history, becoming the all-time receiving yards leader with 2,794 yards over his six year collegiate career. He also ranks second all-time in receptions with 227, second in career punt return yards with 809, second in games played with 61, and fourth in receiving touchdowns with 21 in Wake Forest history.
Morin set the all-time receiving yards mark during the final game of the season against Duke, hauling in eight catches for 47 yards in his last collegiate game. During his final season, the Centreville, Va., native totaled a career-high 64 catches and 756 yards and two touchdowns, helping him earn All-ACC Honorable Mention honors. He also added 238 punt return yards and a punt return touchdown against North Carolina A&T, becoming the first player to score a special teams touchdown since the 2020 season.
In 2023, he recorded 41 receptions for 617 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 3.43 receptions-per-game and 15.05 yards-per-catch.
Morin's best season in a Demon Deacon uniform came during the 2022 season, where he set a career-high with nine receiving touchdowns while starting all 13 games. Across the year, he recorded 47 catches for 575 yards, while also adding 17 punt returns for 128 yards. The nine touchdown catches during his redshirt sophomore season was the sixth-most in a single season in program history and ranked 19th in the country and fourth in the ACC that season.
During the 2021 season, Morin tallied 43 receptions for 621 yards and five touchdowns, which ranked third in each category. He tallied at least one reception in every single game and multiple catches in 12 of 14 games in 2021. Morin also hauled in a touchdown pass in the ACC Championship game against Pitt.
Morin also recorded 32 receptions for 405 yards and three touchdowns during the 2020 season. Morin broke onto the scene in the season opener against Clemson, leading the team with nine catches and a touchdown against the Tigers.
Kevin Pointer Jr. capped off his Wake Forest career with one of his best seasons in a Demon Deacon uniform. The Jonesboro, Ark., native ended the year with 34 tackles, 15 solo tackles, eight tackles-for-loss, four sacks, and an interception across 11 games and 10 starts during the 2024 season. Pointer ultimately earned All-ACC Honorable Mention honors.
In 2023, he recorded a career-high 37 tackles with 18 solo efforts, nine tackles-for-loss, and 1.5 sacks while starting all 12 games for the Deacs.
In 2022 and 2021, Pointer helped lead the Deacs to back-to-back bowl victories and an Atlantic Division title. Across those two seasons, he appeared in 21 games and recorded 18 total tackles with 12 solo tackles, four tackles-for-loss and 1.5 sacks.
Prior to his time at Wake Forest, he spent one season at Louisiana, totaling 38 tackles and 7.5 tackles-for-loss.
Over the last two seasons at Wake Forest, Ganious has been a mainstay in the middle of the defensive line for the Demon Deacons.
Last season, he saw action in 10 games with eight starts, recording 26 tackles with five solo tackles and five tackles-for-loss, three sacks and seven quarterback hurries. He tallied a season-high six tackles with one solo tackle and a tackle-for-loss and 0.5 sacks against NC State. Against Duke, he added three tackles with one solo tackle, as well as a season-high 1.5 tackles-for-loss and a sack against Duke. Overall, he tallied at least one tackle in nine games and credited for at least 0.5 tackles-for-loss in six games.
As a junior, Ganious saw action in 11 games with two starts during the 2023 season, recording 28 tackles with nine solo tackles and 2.5 tackles-for-loss, 1.0 sack and five quarterback hurries. Against Georgia Tech, Ganious notched a season-high five tackles with one solo tackle.
Prior to arriving at Wake Forest, Ganious played two seasons at Villanova, finishing with winning seasons in both years and a trip to the FCS Quarterfinals in 2021. He helped lead the Wildcats to the 2021 CAA Conference Championship and finish in the top 10 of the FCS standings.
Overall in those two seasons, he tallied 58 total tackles in his two seasons to go along with 10.0 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, 10 quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Ganious managed to finish with at least one tackle in 22 of 24 games played including at least one in the last 13 games at Villanova.
Slocum was as reliable as they came throughout his career, playing in 47 games over the course of his career including helping the Deacs to a pair of bowl victories in 2021 and 2022 to go along with the historic 2021 ACC Atlantic Division Championship.
As a senior, Slocum started all twelve games during the 2024 season, posting a career-high 73 total tackles and one tackle-for-loss. Slocum tallied a season-high ten total tackles in the Deacons' victory over Stanford including four solo tackles. He also finished the season with one interception and one fumble recovery, recording a career-high 88-yard fumble recovery in the victory against N.C. State. This was the longest defensive play in the Clawson era.
Gordon, who was named to the 2025 Tropical Bowl, started 11 games during his final season with Wake Forest in 2024. He finished the season tallying 826 total snaps and recorded the third best run blocking grade among offensive tackles in the ACC.
In 2023, Gordon started all 12 games for the Deacs while recording 858 total snaps. He also ranked third in the ACC for pass blocking grades among tackles and held the fourth highest overall grade among ACC tackles.
Gordon played a pivotal role in leading the Deacs to their seventh consecutive bowl game against Missouri in the Gasparilla Bowl, starting in all 13 games while taking the second-most offensive snaps on the team with 1,026. As a result, Gordon earned All-ACC Honorable Mention honors.
In 2021, Gordon recorded a career-high 1,139 snaps while starting all 14 games as the Demon Deacons secured the Atlantic Division title and a victory in the Gator Bowl.
After the end of the draft the Deacs were hot commodities as the 32 NFL clubs raced to get their signatures. The six Demon Deacons all landed in different locations and are set to begin their NFL journeys at rookie mini camp in the coming days:
| Name | Position | NFL Team |
| Branson Combs | LB | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| Jasheen Davis | DL | New Orleans Saints |
| Bryce Ganious | DL | New England Patriots |
| Devonte Gordon | OL | Kansas City Chiefs/New England Patriots |
| Taylor Morin | WR | Philadelphia Eagles |
| Kevin Pointer Jr. | DL | Las Vegas Raiders |
| Evan Slocum | DB | Detroit Lions |
Since 2017, the Wake Forest football program has had 56 players sign NFL contracts including having six signed in 2025.
Last year, the Deacs had three draftees in the 2024 NFL Draft when San Francisco chose fourth-round pick Malik Mustapha, Dallas Cowboys selected fifth-round pick Caelen Carson and Minnesota Vikings drafted seventh-round pick Michael Juergens. The three selections were the most since four Deacs were taken in the 2012 NFL Draft.
EMBEDDED TWEETS/SOCIAL POSTS
Who Dat ⚜️
— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) April 27, 2025
Let's geaux, @JasheenDavis_30 🎩 pic.twitter.com/gq9xtsXIKS
DUUUVAL 😤
— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) April 27, 2025
Congrats, @BransonCombs 🎩 pic.twitter.com/Sm7MmezBec
Fly Eagles Fly 🦅
— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) April 27, 2025
Come on, @taylormorin20 🎩 pic.twitter.com/l9WWjc5Z59
Just win baby ☠️
— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) April 27, 2025
Congrats, @Kpointerjr 🎩 pic.twitter.com/erb5Sp5tlf
For The Shoe 🐴
— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) April 27, 2025
Let's go, @evanslocum_ 🎩 pic.twitter.com/V7uIIdqokd
Go Pats ✍️
— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) April 27, 2025
Let's go, @bryce_ganious 🎩 pic.twitter.com/HU2gsdx3KN
Opportunities await ✍️
— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) April 28, 2025
Let's go, @superstar_vonte 🎩 pic.twitter.com/Z0envwibIe
More on the Demon Deacons
- Branson Combs | LB | Jacksonville Jaguars
After transferring into Wake Forest for his senior season, senior Branson Combs provided a pivotal spark for the Demon Deacon defense as he was named to the All-ACC Second Team. In 11 games, including 10 starts, Combs ranked second on the team with 96 total tackles, as well as fourth on the team with six tackles-for-loss. The Evansville, Indiana, native also recorded two sacks, an interception, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
Combs, who was invited to the 2025 Hula Bowl, recorded 10-or-more tackles four times throughout the season, including a career-high 14 tackles against both Virginia and North Carolina. Combs also recorded 12 tackles and a sack in the victory over Stanford, and 11 tackles against California. The senior also came away with the game-sealing interception in the comeback victory over NC State.
Prior to his time with the Demon Deacons, Combs spent five seasons at Southern Illinois. After starting his career as a wide receiver, Combs transitioned to the linebacker position, finishing his career with the Salukis with 177 total tackles, including 90 solo efforts, 12 tackles-for-loss, and 4.5 sacks, as well as six interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
In 2023, he started all 13 games for the Salukis while recording 86 tackles, including two sacks and 5.5 tackles-for-loss, helping him earn Second Team All-MVFC honors. Combs also added two interceptions, both of which came during FCS playoff games against Nicholls State and Idaho.
- Jasheen Davis | DL | New Orleans Saints
Throughout Jasheen Davis' Wake Forest career, he became one of the best pass rushers in program history, finishing his five-year tenure with the Deacs with 25.5 total sacks, the third-most in school history. Davis also finished his career second in career-tackles-for-loss with 51.0.
During his senior season, Davis totaled 33 tackles, including 17 solo efforts, across 10 starts. Davis also led the team in both sacks and tackles-for-loss during the 2024 season, having recorded 5.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles-for-loss on the season.
The Snellville, Georgia, native had his best game of his senior campaign against North Carolina, recording a career-high 3.5 tackles-for-loss, including 2.5 sacks, as part of a season-high seven tackle performance against the Tar Heels.
In 2023, Davis finished the season ninth in the country and second in the ACC with 16 tackles-for-loss. Davis also finished fifth in the ACC in sacks, compiling 7.5 sacks as a junior. Across the season, he had 49 tackles, 25 solo tackles, 10 quarterback hurries, and two pass breakups.
In 2022, Davis led the Demon Deacons with 14.0 tackles-for-loss and 7.0 sacks to help guide Wake Forest to its seventh consecutive bowl game and second-straight bowl victory in the Gasparilla Bowl against Missouri. His 14 tackles-for-loss during his sophomore season ranked fifth in the ACC during the 2022 season, helping Davis earn All-ACC Honorable Mention honors.
During his freshman season, Davis was named to the Second-Team Freshman All-American list by The Athletic as he helped the Deacs earn the ACC Atlantic Division title and a victory in the Gator Bowl over Rutgers. In total, he finished with 34 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and 8.5 tackles-for-loss and a forced fumbles during the 2021 season.
- Taylor Morin | WR | Philadelphia Eagles
Taylor Morin wrapped up his Wake Forest career by solidifying himself as one of the greatest wide receivers in program history, becoming the all-time receiving yards leader with 2,794 yards over his six year collegiate career. He also ranks second all-time in receptions with 227, second in career punt return yards with 809, second in games played with 61, and fourth in receiving touchdowns with 21 in Wake Forest history.
Morin set the all-time receiving yards mark during the final game of the season against Duke, hauling in eight catches for 47 yards in his last collegiate game. During his final season, the Centreville, Va., native totaled a career-high 64 catches and 756 yards and two touchdowns, helping him earn All-ACC Honorable Mention honors. He also added 238 punt return yards and a punt return touchdown against North Carolina A&T, becoming the first player to score a special teams touchdown since the 2020 season.
In 2023, he recorded 41 receptions for 617 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 3.43 receptions-per-game and 15.05 yards-per-catch.
Morin's best season in a Demon Deacon uniform came during the 2022 season, where he set a career-high with nine receiving touchdowns while starting all 13 games. Across the year, he recorded 47 catches for 575 yards, while also adding 17 punt returns for 128 yards. The nine touchdown catches during his redshirt sophomore season was the sixth-most in a single season in program history and ranked 19th in the country and fourth in the ACC that season.
During the 2021 season, Morin tallied 43 receptions for 621 yards and five touchdowns, which ranked third in each category. He tallied at least one reception in every single game and multiple catches in 12 of 14 games in 2021. Morin also hauled in a touchdown pass in the ACC Championship game against Pitt.
Morin also recorded 32 receptions for 405 yards and three touchdowns during the 2020 season. Morin broke onto the scene in the season opener against Clemson, leading the team with nine catches and a touchdown against the Tigers.
- Kevin Pointer Jr. | DL | Las Vegas Raiders
Kevin Pointer Jr. capped off his Wake Forest career with one of his best seasons in a Demon Deacon uniform. The Jonesboro, Ark., native ended the year with 34 tackles, 15 solo tackles, eight tackles-for-loss, four sacks, and an interception across 11 games and 10 starts during the 2024 season. Pointer ultimately earned All-ACC Honorable Mention honors.
In 2023, he recorded a career-high 37 tackles with 18 solo efforts, nine tackles-for-loss, and 1.5 sacks while starting all 12 games for the Deacs.
In 2022 and 2021, Pointer helped lead the Deacs to back-to-back bowl victories and an Atlantic Division title. Across those two seasons, he appeared in 21 games and recorded 18 total tackles with 12 solo tackles, four tackles-for-loss and 1.5 sacks.
Prior to his time at Wake Forest, he spent one season at Louisiana, totaling 38 tackles and 7.5 tackles-for-loss.
- Bryce Ganious | DL | New England Patriots
Over the last two seasons at Wake Forest, Ganious has been a mainstay in the middle of the defensive line for the Demon Deacons.
Last season, he saw action in 10 games with eight starts, recording 26 tackles with five solo tackles and five tackles-for-loss, three sacks and seven quarterback hurries. He tallied a season-high six tackles with one solo tackle and a tackle-for-loss and 0.5 sacks against NC State. Against Duke, he added three tackles with one solo tackle, as well as a season-high 1.5 tackles-for-loss and a sack against Duke. Overall, he tallied at least one tackle in nine games and credited for at least 0.5 tackles-for-loss in six games.
As a junior, Ganious saw action in 11 games with two starts during the 2023 season, recording 28 tackles with nine solo tackles and 2.5 tackles-for-loss, 1.0 sack and five quarterback hurries. Against Georgia Tech, Ganious notched a season-high five tackles with one solo tackle.
Prior to arriving at Wake Forest, Ganious played two seasons at Villanova, finishing with winning seasons in both years and a trip to the FCS Quarterfinals in 2021. He helped lead the Wildcats to the 2021 CAA Conference Championship and finish in the top 10 of the FCS standings.
Overall in those two seasons, he tallied 58 total tackles in his two seasons to go along with 10.0 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, 10 quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Ganious managed to finish with at least one tackle in 22 of 24 games played including at least one in the last 13 games at Villanova.
- Evan Slocum | DB | Detroit Lions
Slocum was as reliable as they came throughout his career, playing in 47 games over the course of his career including helping the Deacs to a pair of bowl victories in 2021 and 2022 to go along with the historic 2021 ACC Atlantic Division Championship.
As a senior, Slocum started all twelve games during the 2024 season, posting a career-high 73 total tackles and one tackle-for-loss. Slocum tallied a season-high ten total tackles in the Deacons' victory over Stanford including four solo tackles. He also finished the season with one interception and one fumble recovery, recording a career-high 88-yard fumble recovery in the victory against N.C. State. This was the longest defensive play in the Clawson era.
- Devonte Gordon | OL | Kansas City Chiefs/New England Patriots
Gordon, who was named to the 2025 Tropical Bowl, started 11 games during his final season with Wake Forest in 2024. He finished the season tallying 826 total snaps and recorded the third best run blocking grade among offensive tackles in the ACC.
In 2023, Gordon started all 12 games for the Deacs while recording 858 total snaps. He also ranked third in the ACC for pass blocking grades among tackles and held the fourth highest overall grade among ACC tackles.
Gordon played a pivotal role in leading the Deacs to their seventh consecutive bowl game against Missouri in the Gasparilla Bowl, starting in all 13 games while taking the second-most offensive snaps on the team with 1,026. As a result, Gordon earned All-ACC Honorable Mention honors.
In 2021, Gordon recorded a career-high 1,139 snaps while starting all 14 games as the Demon Deacons secured the Atlantic Division title and a victory in the Gator Bowl.
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