Wake Forest Athletics
Ty Clark III Leading Talented, Versatile Running Back Room
9/15/2026 9:00:00 AM | Football
With four of the five leading rushers from last year's squad no longer on the roster, the running back position holds ample opportunity as the Demon Deacons as they continue the 2026 season.
At the top of the list of playmakers to replace the consistency and home-run prowess of Demond Claiborne, who was selected in the sixth round of the NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings, is junior tailback Ty Clark III, who is the leading returning Wake Forest rusher going for 323 yards and three touchdowns on seven carries a season ago.
But those experiences alone haven't solidified Clark as a sole option for the Demon Deacons, as Wake Forest head coach Jake Dickert has said publicly he doesn't feel the need to force separation in the running back room, that the group as a whole is the strength rather than any individual hierarchy within it.
Clark's answer tracks with exactly that philosophy, and it doesn't sound like something he's saying for appearances. He lit up talking about freshman Deuce Lawrence breaking into the open field during a late-fall Camp practice. That continued during a season-opening victory over Akron, as Lawrence scored in his collegiate debut.
"All you can do is smile and get excited when you see your guys going out there and making crazy plays," he said. "You just feel happy for them."
Clark is straightforward about how that room works and how he thinks about his role within it.
"My philosophy is we do whatever we've got to do to go out there and win the game," he said. "Each of us brings our own different skill sets. There are certain situations I might be needed more, certain situations where Deuce, KD [Daniels] and all the others might be needed more. Whatever role anybody needs to go out there and win the game, that's all we've got to do.
"We all cheer each other on. Everybody gets out there and does their thing. We know what type of guys we've got in the room."
As fall camp progressed into game prep, there hadn't been separation at the running back position, and Dickert was fine with that.
"I don't think there needs to be," he said. "I think that's the crazy part. I think they're all in a good position. I think they all have unique and different roles."
Clark was part of the 2025 team that surprised a lot of outside observers with its nine-win regular season and bowl victory, and he has a clear-eyed view of what's different heading into this year. The offseason installation process that was still scrambled and incomplete a year ago, with so many new pieces coming in under a new coaching staff, has had time to settle. The playbook that felt foreign to some players as recently as last spring camp now feels native.
"I think we really installed a lot more in the spring this time," Clark said. "It was a little hard to do last year because we were still bringing a lot of guys in. But we got the bulk of our guys in during the spring, and a lot of guys are just more familiar with the playbook now. So we can add other things, look for other nuances, and really hone in on the details. That's probably the biggest difference from last year."
At the top of the list of playmakers to replace the consistency and home-run prowess of Demond Claiborne, who was selected in the sixth round of the NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings, is junior tailback Ty Clark III, who is the leading returning Wake Forest rusher going for 323 yards and three touchdowns on seven carries a season ago.
But those experiences alone haven't solidified Clark as a sole option for the Demon Deacons, as Wake Forest head coach Jake Dickert has said publicly he doesn't feel the need to force separation in the running back room, that the group as a whole is the strength rather than any individual hierarchy within it.
Clark's answer tracks with exactly that philosophy, and it doesn't sound like something he's saying for appearances. He lit up talking about freshman Deuce Lawrence breaking into the open field during a late-fall Camp practice. That continued during a season-opening victory over Akron, as Lawrence scored in his collegiate debut.
Power on in, @0fficial_deuce 😤 https://t.co/T8vCzvhY3Q pic.twitter.com/zVSEVSgspF
— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) September 4, 2026
"All you can do is smile and get excited when you see your guys going out there and making crazy plays," he said. "You just feel happy for them."
Clark is straightforward about how that room works and how he thinks about his role within it.
"My philosophy is we do whatever we've got to do to go out there and win the game," he said. "Each of us brings our own different skill sets. There are certain situations I might be needed more, certain situations where Deuce, KD [Daniels] and all the others might be needed more. Whatever role anybody needs to go out there and win the game, that's all we've got to do.
"We all cheer each other on. Everybody gets out there and does their thing. We know what type of guys we've got in the room."
As fall camp progressed into game prep, there hadn't been separation at the running back position, and Dickert was fine with that.
"I don't think there needs to be," he said. "I think that's the crazy part. I think they're all in a good position. I think they all have unique and different roles."
Clark was part of the 2025 team that surprised a lot of outside observers with its nine-win regular season and bowl victory, and he has a clear-eyed view of what's different heading into this year. The offseason installation process that was still scrambled and incomplete a year ago, with so many new pieces coming in under a new coaching staff, has had time to settle. The playbook that felt foreign to some players as recently as last spring camp now feels native.
"I think we really installed a lot more in the spring this time," Clark said. "It was a little hard to do last year because we were still bringing a lot of guys in. But we got the bulk of our guys in during the spring, and a lot of guys are just more familiar with the playbook now. So we can add other things, look for other nuances, and really hone in on the details. That's probably the biggest difference from last year."
Players Mentioned
Wednesday, September 23
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