Photo by: Seth Seebaugh / Wake Forest Athletics
Claiborne Named ACC Running Back of the Week
9/8/2025 1:58:00 PM | Football
The senior running back is one of just 13 student-athletes with three rushing touchdowns in a single game so far this season.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest running back Demond Claiborne has been named the ACC Running Back of the Week following a dominant showing in the Demon Deacons' 42-10 victory over Western Carolina on Saturday.
Claiborne tore through the Catamount defense for 193 rushing yards on just 10 carries, including three explosive touchdown bursts of 41, 33, and 85 yards.
His 191 yards on the ground mark the third most yards gained by a running back this season, and leads the ACC in single-game performances to this point.
Claiborne tallied 191 all-purpose yards, marking the 14th time in the last 22 games that he has gone for 100 or more all-purpose yards:
Claiborne's 85-yard rushing touchdown during the first drive of the third quarter marked the longest rushing touchdown since Kenneth Walker recorded a 96-yard touchdown against Rice in 2019.
He also ran for the most yards in a single game since Cade Carney rushed for 223 yards against Duke during the 2018 season.
His 19.3 yards per carry marks the third highest recorded by a Demon Deacon in program history:
Claiborne's 1,579 all-purpose yards last season ranks seventh in program history and is the second-most in the College Football Playoff era.
Last season he finished with 11 rushing touchdowns which were career highs and ranked in the Wake Forest charts during the CFP era as well as all-time.
College Football Playoff Era Single-Season Rushing Touchdowns
CFP Era Single-Season Total Touchdowns
CFP Era Career Rushing TDs
CFP Era Career Total TDs
In 2024, Claiborne became the first Demon Deacon since 2018 to have 1,000 rushing yards in a single season. He finished the season with the second-most rushing yards by a Deac in the last two decades:
Single-Season Rushing Yards since 2005
Claiborne and the rest of the Wake Forest football team return to Allegacy Stadium for a Big Four Rivalry matchup against NC State on Thursday, Sept. 11 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. Tickets can be purchased by clicking HERE.
Claiborne tore through the Catamount defense for 193 rushing yards on just 10 carries, including three explosive touchdown bursts of 41, 33, and 85 yards.
His 191 yards on the ground mark the third most yards gained by a running back this season, and leads the ACC in single-game performances to this point.
Claiborne tallied 191 all-purpose yards, marking the 14th time in the last 22 games that he has gone for 100 or more all-purpose yards:
- Sept. 6 2025 vs. Western Carolina – 191 APR (193 RUSH, -2 RCV)
- Nov. 30, 2024 vs. Duke - 116 APR (67 RUSH, 4 RCV, 45 KR)
- Nov. 23, 2024 at Miami- 191 APR (62 RUSH, 14 RCV, 115 KR)
- Nov. 17, 2024 at North Carolina - 123 APR (95 RUSH, 28 RCV)
- Nov 8, 2024 vs. Cal - 172 APR (113 RUSH, 51 RCV, 8 KR)
- Oct 26, 2024 at Stanford- 204 APR (127 RUSH, 10 RCV, 15 KR)
- Oct 5, 2024 at NC State- 144 APR (136 RUSH, 10 RCV,)
- Sept. 28, 2024 vs. Louisiana - 117 APR (94 RUSH, 10 RCV, 13 KR)
- Sept. 7, 2024 vs. UVA - 128 APR (86 RUSH, 14, RCV, 28 KR)
- Aug. 29, 2024 vs. NC A&T - 172 APR (135 RUSH, 37 KR)
- Nov. 2, 2023 at Duke - 139 APR (81 RUSH, 58 KR)
- Oct. 21, 2023 vs. Pitt - 137 APR (96 RUSH, 22 RCV, 19 KR)
- Oct. 14, 2023 at Virginia Tech- 100 APR (4 RUSH, 96 KR)
- Sept. 9, 2023 vs. Vandy - 165 APR (165 RUSH)
Claiborne's 85-yard rushing touchdown during the first drive of the third quarter marked the longest rushing touchdown since Kenneth Walker recorded a 96-yard touchdown against Rice in 2019.
He also ran for the most yards in a single game since Cade Carney rushed for 223 yards against Duke during the 2018 season.
His 19.3 yards per carry marks the third highest recorded by a Demon Deacon in program history:
- 1. Tony Gallovich vs. William Jewell (9/21/40) 25.4 (7/178)
- 2. Bill Barnes vs. William & Mary (9/22/56) 22.1 (8/177)
- 3. Demond Claiborne vs. Western Carolina (9/6/25) 19.3 (10/193)
- 3. Tarence Williams vs. Ga Tech (10/14/00) 15.7 (7/110)
- 4. Kenneth Moore vs. Nebraska (9/8/07) 14.9 (8/116)
Claiborne's 1,579 all-purpose yards last season ranks seventh in program history and is the second-most in the College Football Playoff era.
Last season he finished with 11 rushing touchdowns which were career highs and ranked in the Wake Forest charts during the CFP era as well as all-time.
College Football Playoff Era Single-Season Rushing Touchdowns
| Rank | Name | Single-Season Rushing Touchdowns |
| 1. | Kenneth Walker III (2020) | 13 |
| T2. | Demond Claiborne (2024) | 11 |
| T2. | Sam Hartman (2021) | 11 |
| 4. | John Wolford (2017) | 10 |
| 5. | Cade Carney (2018) | 8 |
| T6. | Christian Beal-Smith (2021) | 7 |
| T6. | Matt Colburn II (2017) | 7 |
| T6. | Justice Ellison (2021) | 7 |
| T6. | Kendall Hinton (2015) | 7 |
| T6. | Christian Turner (2022) | 7 |
CFP Era Single-Season Total Touchdowns
| Rank | Name | Single-Season Total Touchdowns |
| 1. | A.T. Perry (2021) | 15 |
| T2. | Demond Claiborne (2024) | 14 |
| T2. | Kenneth Walker III (2020) | 13 |
| T4. | A.T. Perry (2022) | 11 |
| T4. | Sam Hartman (2021) | 11 |
| T4. | Sage Surratt (2019) | 11 |
| T6. | Greg Dortch (2018) | 10 |
| T6. | John Wolford (2017) | 10 |
| T8. | Jahmal Banks (2022) | 9 |
| T8. | Taylor Morin (2022) | 9 |
| T8. | Greg Dortch (2017) | 9 |
| T8. | Cam Serigne (2017) | 9 |
CFP Era Career Rushing TDs
| Rank | Name | Career Rushing Touchdowns | Games Played |
| 1. | Cade Carney (2016-19) | 21 | 42 |
| T2. | Demond Claiborne (2022-Pres.) | 19 | 34 |
| T2. | John Wolford (2015-17) | 19 | 35 |
| T4. | Sam Hartman (2019-22) | 17 | 48 |
| T. | Kenneth Walker III (2019-20) | 17 | 20 |
| T5. | Matt Colburn II (2015-18) | 15 | 47 |
| T5. | Justice Ellison (2020-23) | 15 | 40 |
| 7. | Christian Beal-Smith (2019-21) | 14 | 30 |
| T9. | Kendall Hinton (2015-19) | 12 | 34 |
| T9. | Christian Turner (2021-22) | 12 | 26 |
CFP Era Career Total TDs
| Rank | Name | Career Total Touchdowns | Games Played |
| 1. | A.T. Perry (2019-22) | 28 | 42 |
| T2. | Demond Claiborne (2022-Pres.) | 23 | 34 |
| T2. | Taylor Morin (2019-24) | 22 | 61 |
| T4. | Cade Carney (2016-19) | 21 | 42 |
| T4. | Cam Serigne (2014-17) | 21 | 49 |
| T6. | Greg Dortch (2017-18) | 19 | 20 |
| T6. | John Wolford (2015-17) | 19 | 35 |
| T8. | Sam Hartman (2019-22) | 17 | 48 |
| T8. | Jaquarii Roberson (2019-21) | 17 | 31 |
| T8. | Kenneth Walker III (2019-20) | 17 | 20 |
In 2024, Claiborne became the first Demon Deacon since 2018 to have 1,000 rushing yards in a single season. He finished the season with the second-most rushing yards by a Deac in the last two decades:
Single-Season Rushing Yards since 2005
| Rank | Name | Single-Season Rushing Yards |
| 1. | Chris Barclay (2005) | 1,127 |
| 2. | Demond Claiborne (2024) | 1,048 |
| 3. | Cade Carney (2018) | 1,005 |
| 4. | Josh Adams (2007) | 953 |
| 5. | Matt Colburn II (2017) | 904 |
Claiborne and the rest of the Wake Forest football team return to Allegacy Stadium for a Big Four Rivalry matchup against NC State on Thursday, Sept. 11 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. Tickets can be purchased by clicking HERE.
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