Wake Forest Athletics
Fresh Energy Provides New Perspective on the Game for Bryant
7/9/2025 8:06:00 AM | Football
“We try to make every moment feel like a game.” - Quincy Bryant
This is the fifth season on campus for Wake Forest redshirt senior linebacker Quincy Bryant, but in many ways he's learning everything from scratch again, just as when he was a freshman after the hire of Jake Dickert as new head coach in mid-December.
"It's funny—it feels extremely different," Bryant said. "I was just telling somebody it feels like we're all freshmen again, just running around not knowing what's going on. But it's very different and yet the same. Obviously, football is football at the end of the day, but there's definitely a big energy difference.
"Guys are trying to fly around all day, keep the energy up the entire time, and that's one of our goals—keeping that up through all 15 practices in the spring and into the season."
Some things are unlikely to ever change with Wake Forest Football. There will always be rigorous academic standards, and Demon Deacons are expected to be high-character leaders both on and off the field. But the first four months of the Dickert era has seen a shot of energy injected into the program. Players are more expressive, celebrations can be exuberant and the competition is ceaseless.
"Obviously, there's been a lot of change, but change can always be a good thing," Bryant said. "Everyone—the guys that have been here for a long time—we've all enjoyed it. It's been a good switch-up for us. And then also with the new guys coming in, the new brothers we have, we're just getting ready to attack the season.
"They want us to celebrate. So having fun, guys jumping around—I hope you see every single time the defense makes a play or the offense makes a play, everyone is celebrating like it's a game. We try to make every moment feel like a game."
The coaching change has also led to a large group of transfers choosing to become Demon Deacons. The new staff signed more than 20 players to the roster over just a nine-day period in January.
"In a weird way, it's really fun," Bryant said. "I enjoy it because it's almost like—we've got so many new guys, and we get to form new relationships. Obviously, with football, it's always great getting new talent in here. I've been going against Demond (Claiborne) for three years—I know every little thing he does. But now I have to relearn all the new guys like Robby (Ashford) and (Deshawn) Purdy. I have to figure out those guys now. It's great bringing in guys who want to compete."
The Wake Forest linebacker room had taken massive steps forward the last couple of years under the tutelage of coach Glenn Spencer, and Bryant believes the new staff will just continue to build on that growth.
"We all loved Coach Spence," Bryant said. "He's someone who empowered us to play with confidence. And that's one of the same things Coach AP (assistant coach, linebackers Adam Pilapil) and Coach Dickert are pushing now. AP really emphasizes playing with confidence.
"Right now, it's all about going full speed—even if you mess up. Everyone feels like a freshman again, so just go full speed so we can fix it full speed. That way, when you're in a game, you're already used to going full throttle. That's one of the big things—just making sure we're playing with confidence and being ourselves."
Coming off his best season as a Demon Deacon, Bryant is looked upon as one of the leaders in the linebacker room in 2025. He finished last season with 50 tackles and 18 solo tackles (both career highs), while adding 2.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and an interception.
"There's been a point where other guys have brought up to Coach Dickert that I'm someone they look up to and that they need in the program," Bryant said. "That's been a great benefit. I've always carried myself the same way, but Coach Dickert is leaning on me and Nick Andersen and the guys that have been here.
"At the same time, we're leaning on Coach Dickert and also on the guys who transferred in from Washington State—guys like Fa'alili Fa'amoe and Devin Kylany. There are times I don't know what's going on, and they might not either, but they know the coaches well and can give me some guidance. Forming relationships with them has helped a lot in this transition."
"It's funny—it feels extremely different," Bryant said. "I was just telling somebody it feels like we're all freshmen again, just running around not knowing what's going on. But it's very different and yet the same. Obviously, football is football at the end of the day, but there's definitely a big energy difference.
"Guys are trying to fly around all day, keep the energy up the entire time, and that's one of our goals—keeping that up through all 15 practices in the spring and into the season."
Some things are unlikely to ever change with Wake Forest Football. There will always be rigorous academic standards, and Demon Deacons are expected to be high-character leaders both on and off the field. But the first four months of the Dickert era has seen a shot of energy injected into the program. Players are more expressive, celebrations can be exuberant and the competition is ceaseless.
"Obviously, there's been a lot of change, but change can always be a good thing," Bryant said. "Everyone—the guys that have been here for a long time—we've all enjoyed it. It's been a good switch-up for us. And then also with the new guys coming in, the new brothers we have, we're just getting ready to attack the season.
"They want us to celebrate. So having fun, guys jumping around—I hope you see every single time the defense makes a play or the offense makes a play, everyone is celebrating like it's a game. We try to make every moment feel like a game."
The coaching change has also led to a large group of transfers choosing to become Demon Deacons. The new staff signed more than 20 players to the roster over just a nine-day period in January.
"In a weird way, it's really fun," Bryant said. "I enjoy it because it's almost like—we've got so many new guys, and we get to form new relationships. Obviously, with football, it's always great getting new talent in here. I've been going against Demond (Claiborne) for three years—I know every little thing he does. But now I have to relearn all the new guys like Robby (Ashford) and (Deshawn) Purdy. I have to figure out those guys now. It's great bringing in guys who want to compete."
The Wake Forest linebacker room had taken massive steps forward the last couple of years under the tutelage of coach Glenn Spencer, and Bryant believes the new staff will just continue to build on that growth.
"We all loved Coach Spence," Bryant said. "He's someone who empowered us to play with confidence. And that's one of the same things Coach AP (assistant coach, linebackers Adam Pilapil) and Coach Dickert are pushing now. AP really emphasizes playing with confidence.
"Right now, it's all about going full speed—even if you mess up. Everyone feels like a freshman again, so just go full speed so we can fix it full speed. That way, when you're in a game, you're already used to going full throttle. That's one of the big things—just making sure we're playing with confidence and being ourselves."
Coming off his best season as a Demon Deacon, Bryant is looked upon as one of the leaders in the linebacker room in 2025. He finished last season with 50 tackles and 18 solo tackles (both career highs), while adding 2.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and an interception.
"There's been a point where other guys have brought up to Coach Dickert that I'm someone they look up to and that they need in the program," Bryant said. "That's been a great benefit. I've always carried myself the same way, but Coach Dickert is leaning on me and Nick Andersen and the guys that have been here.
"At the same time, we're leaning on Coach Dickert and also on the guys who transferred in from Washington State—guys like Fa'alili Fa'amoe and Devin Kylany. There are times I don't know what's going on, and they might not either, but they know the coaches well and can give me some guidance. Forming relationships with them has helped a lot in this transition."
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