Five Questions with Rob Ezell
8/18/2025 9:40:00 AM | Football
“The offense is really tailored to the type of players we bring in.” - Rob Ezell
Wake Forest Football season is upon us, as the Demon Deacons take the field at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 29 against Kennesaw State to open the exciting 2025 campaign.
New Wake Forest offensive coordinator Rob Ezell, whose South Alabama compiled nearly 6,000 yards last season, scoring 34.4 points a game, spoke with Deacon Sports Xtra for a Five Questions feature toward the end of spring camp to discuss the progress they made during the 15 spring camp practices.
How would you best describe your general offensive system that you want to implement at Wake Forest—not just in 2025, but as the years go forward?
Ezell: "Well, it's a pro-style system with a little bit of college flavor. I wouldn't say we're reinventing the wheel, but one of the things is key is it's really flexible to who we have. A lot of different styles of quarterbacks have played in this system. A lot of different types of receivers, running backs, tight ends, and even offensive linemen.
"So it's really tailored to the type of players we bring in—putting the best players in the best spots to feature their skill sets. I wouldn't give it a particular label, but hopefully you'll see us play fast and physically. That's what we want our identity to be moving forward."
At your last stop at South Alabama, you scored a bunch of points and piled up yards. Before that, you were at Alabama and saw some of the best college football players in the nation. This year, you've got Demond Claiborne as your feature running back. It seems like part of the scheme will be getting him the ball as often as possible. How does he match up with some of the other players you've seen in your coaching career?
Ezell: "Well, in terms of how special he is—he's special. And I'd say, not to shy away from comparisons, but he's his own player. I mean, he's a ball of dynamite. Probably as good of a jump cutter and as explosive as I've seen. He's got great vision, he's tough in pass protection, and he can catch the ball out of the backfield.
"There are a plethora of ways he can be used in our scheme, which makes him invaluable to our offense and our team. So I know what you're asking—he's right up there with them. But he's his own player, and that's fair. He's as unique a player as I've been around. He's been one of the bright spots since we got here in terms of his work ethic and the way he shows up and brings it every day in practice."
How encouraging is it for you moving forward that in that room, you don't just have Demond—that special guy—but you've got a bevy of guys behind him that are doing some really good things in camp?
Ezell: "Oh yeah. I mean, young Drew Pickett has exploded on the scene. Tate Carney is doing a great job. There's a lot of depth we're starting to build, and those guys are growing in confidence. I couldn't be more pleased with the work they've put in—running hard, running physical, breaking tackles against a very, very physical defense.
"We're going to have some depth in that room for sure."
What would you like to tell fans who are curious about how things are going at quarterback so far?
Ezell: "Yeah, yeah. No—it's really going well. One of the things we've seen real progress in is this: mistakes are going to happen, and they're going to happen at every position. But overall—and this isn't just quarterbacks, it's probably the group in general—the same mistakes aren't being made twice. These kids are very attentive. They listen, they're eager learners.
"We see a mistake made one day, and that same mistake doesn't show up again. That's what we've been seeing in the quarterback room—their overall comfort level with the offense and commanding it. That's grown immensely, and we certainly have a good battle brewing."
At receiver, I'm personally seeing a lot of size and a lot of potential—but not yet a ton of proven commodities. Is that fair to say?
Ezell: "Yeah. In terms of game experience, you're right. But I like the motto we have here: iron sharpens iron. And you're really starting to see those guys come into their own—learning what types of players they are, what they can do, and what they need to stay away from. That's probably as important to playing wideout as anything else.
"You're seeing different guys make plays, finish on the ball, make contested catches. Once again—playing fast, playing physical, blocking on the perimeter, running with toughness after the catch. So even though that group may lack a little game experience, they're really starting to come along and develop in this offense."
New Wake Forest offensive coordinator Rob Ezell, whose South Alabama compiled nearly 6,000 yards last season, scoring 34.4 points a game, spoke with Deacon Sports Xtra for a Five Questions feature toward the end of spring camp to discuss the progress they made during the 15 spring camp practices.
How would you best describe your general offensive system that you want to implement at Wake Forest—not just in 2025, but as the years go forward?
Ezell: "Well, it's a pro-style system with a little bit of college flavor. I wouldn't say we're reinventing the wheel, but one of the things is key is it's really flexible to who we have. A lot of different styles of quarterbacks have played in this system. A lot of different types of receivers, running backs, tight ends, and even offensive linemen.
"So it's really tailored to the type of players we bring in—putting the best players in the best spots to feature their skill sets. I wouldn't give it a particular label, but hopefully you'll see us play fast and physically. That's what we want our identity to be moving forward."
At your last stop at South Alabama, you scored a bunch of points and piled up yards. Before that, you were at Alabama and saw some of the best college football players in the nation. This year, you've got Demond Claiborne as your feature running back. It seems like part of the scheme will be getting him the ball as often as possible. How does he match up with some of the other players you've seen in your coaching career?
Ezell: "Well, in terms of how special he is—he's special. And I'd say, not to shy away from comparisons, but he's his own player. I mean, he's a ball of dynamite. Probably as good of a jump cutter and as explosive as I've seen. He's got great vision, he's tough in pass protection, and he can catch the ball out of the backfield.
"There are a plethora of ways he can be used in our scheme, which makes him invaluable to our offense and our team. So I know what you're asking—he's right up there with them. But he's his own player, and that's fair. He's as unique a player as I've been around. He's been one of the bright spots since we got here in terms of his work ethic and the way he shows up and brings it every day in practice."
How encouraging is it for you moving forward that in that room, you don't just have Demond—that special guy—but you've got a bevy of guys behind him that are doing some really good things in camp?
Ezell: "Oh yeah. I mean, young Drew Pickett has exploded on the scene. Tate Carney is doing a great job. There's a lot of depth we're starting to build, and those guys are growing in confidence. I couldn't be more pleased with the work they've put in—running hard, running physical, breaking tackles against a very, very physical defense.
"We're going to have some depth in that room for sure."
What would you like to tell fans who are curious about how things are going at quarterback so far?
Ezell: "Yeah, yeah. No—it's really going well. One of the things we've seen real progress in is this: mistakes are going to happen, and they're going to happen at every position. But overall—and this isn't just quarterbacks, it's probably the group in general—the same mistakes aren't being made twice. These kids are very attentive. They listen, they're eager learners.
"We see a mistake made one day, and that same mistake doesn't show up again. That's what we've been seeing in the quarterback room—their overall comfort level with the offense and commanding it. That's grown immensely, and we certainly have a good battle brewing."
At receiver, I'm personally seeing a lot of size and a lot of potential—but not yet a ton of proven commodities. Is that fair to say?
Ezell: "Yeah. In terms of game experience, you're right. But I like the motto we have here: iron sharpens iron. And you're really starting to see those guys come into their own—learning what types of players they are, what they can do, and what they need to stay away from. That's probably as important to playing wideout as anything else.
"You're seeing different guys make plays, finish on the ball, make contested catches. Once again—playing fast, playing physical, blocking on the perimeter, running with toughness after the catch. So even though that group may lack a little game experience, they're really starting to come along and develop in this offense."
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