Wake Forest Athletics
Antonio Meeks Ready to Leave His Mark at Wake Forest
9/7/2026 8:00:00 AM | Football
Antonio Meeks has taken the long way around to get to where he is. Tuskegee, then Louisville, now Wake Forest — three schools, four seasons of meaningful experience and a resume that reads like someone who kept outgrowing wherever he was and needed to find the right fit.
The 6-foot-1, 205-pound redshirt senior from Las Vegas arrived in Winston-Salem earlier this year as one of the more seasoned receivers on the roster, and one of the more quietly intriguing additions to a Wake Forest offense that is counting on its receiver room to produce at a higher level in 2026.
In Wake Forest's season-opening victory over Akron, Meeks was one of three wide receivers to score on the night, as he recorded three catches for 93 yards including a 72-yard touchdown.
Meeks started at Tuskegee, where he spent two seasons establishing himself as one of the most explosive receivers in the SIAC. His sophomore year alone produced 43 receptions for 745 yards and five touchdowns, an average of 17.4 yards per catch that ranked among the best in the conference. He had a 179-yard day against Edward Waters, a 149-yard opener against Fort Valley State, and back-to-back performances with a touchdown in each.
When it was time to see what he could do against higher competition, he made the jump to Louisville.
At the ACC level, the production came in bursts rather than in volume. He appeared in four games in 2024. Last season he played in all 13 Cardinal games, catching 17 passes for 189 yards and added another touchdown in their bowl win over Toledo. He was a reliable piece of the rotation without ever quite getting the opportunity to show the full range of what he could do.
That opportunity is what Wake Forest represents.
"I feel like every day is important," Meeks said. "Just the standard that Coach Dickert holds us to — you have to show up every day and give your all. A scrimmage is no different than any other practice for me. It's all or nothing every day."
He was asked directly whether he felt he had done what he wanted to do through the first portion of camp.
"There have been some plays, maybe two or three," he said. "But overall, the bigger picture, I feel like I've done my job and my role for sure."
The composure and maturity exhibited by Meeks has not gone unnoticed by his teammates and coaches. Quarterback Gio Lopez and fellow receiver Jack Foley have both mentioned him as one of the veteran voices pouring into the younger members of the receiver room, which looms large for the Demon Deacons, especially with so many veteran offensive pieces having moved on from the nine-win season a year ago.
On the field, the receiver room Meeks is a part of has depth that Wake Forest hasn't always had at the position. With Carlos Hernandez, Foley, Kam Shanks, Chase Tyler and others competing for snaps alongside him, the group is built to handle situations where the defense takes something away and the offense needs to adjust on the fly.
"Football is a chess match," Meeks said. "You take what the defense gives you. If they want to take away the middle, go where they're not. Just keeping it simple, not overthinking it, not doing too much. You want to get to what you know and move the ball down the field."
He also offered a candid take when asked whether offensive players get fired up for full-contact practice situations the way the defense does.
"I play receiver, so I don't like getting tackled at all," Meeks said with a smile. "I don't plan on getting tackled."
The 6-foot-1, 205-pound redshirt senior from Las Vegas arrived in Winston-Salem earlier this year as one of the more seasoned receivers on the roster, and one of the more quietly intriguing additions to a Wake Forest offense that is counting on its receiver room to produce at a higher level in 2026.
In Wake Forest's season-opening victory over Akron, Meeks was one of three wide receivers to score on the night, as he recorded three catches for 93 yards including a 72-yard touchdown.
House call ☎️ https://t.co/0A81ax57rC pic.twitter.com/PTtlpWouqG
— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) September 3, 2026
Meeks started at Tuskegee, where he spent two seasons establishing himself as one of the most explosive receivers in the SIAC. His sophomore year alone produced 43 receptions for 745 yards and five touchdowns, an average of 17.4 yards per catch that ranked among the best in the conference. He had a 179-yard day against Edward Waters, a 149-yard opener against Fort Valley State, and back-to-back performances with a touchdown in each.
When it was time to see what he could do against higher competition, he made the jump to Louisville.
At the ACC level, the production came in bursts rather than in volume. He appeared in four games in 2024. Last season he played in all 13 Cardinal games, catching 17 passes for 189 yards and added another touchdown in their bowl win over Toledo. He was a reliable piece of the rotation without ever quite getting the opportunity to show the full range of what he could do.
That opportunity is what Wake Forest represents.
"I feel like every day is important," Meeks said. "Just the standard that Coach Dickert holds us to — you have to show up every day and give your all. A scrimmage is no different than any other practice for me. It's all or nothing every day."
He was asked directly whether he felt he had done what he wanted to do through the first portion of camp.
"There have been some plays, maybe two or three," he said. "But overall, the bigger picture, I feel like I've done my job and my role for sure."
The composure and maturity exhibited by Meeks has not gone unnoticed by his teammates and coaches. Quarterback Gio Lopez and fellow receiver Jack Foley have both mentioned him as one of the veteran voices pouring into the younger members of the receiver room, which looms large for the Demon Deacons, especially with so many veteran offensive pieces having moved on from the nine-win season a year ago.
On the field, the receiver room Meeks is a part of has depth that Wake Forest hasn't always had at the position. With Carlos Hernandez, Foley, Kam Shanks, Chase Tyler and others competing for snaps alongside him, the group is built to handle situations where the defense takes something away and the offense needs to adjust on the fly.
"Football is a chess match," Meeks said. "You take what the defense gives you. If they want to take away the middle, go where they're not. Just keeping it simple, not overthinking it, not doing too much. You want to get to what you know and move the ball down the field."
He also offered a candid take when asked whether offensive players get fired up for full-contact practice situations the way the defense does.
"I play receiver, so I don't like getting tackled at all," Meeks said with a smile. "I don't plan on getting tackled."
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