Wake Forest Football 2026 Preview: Is Gio Lopez the Missing Piece for the Demon Deacons?

Wake Forest won nine games last season despite an offense that frequently held the team back, and that makes the 2026 version especially intriguing. Gio Lopez takes over at quarterback and reunites with Rob Ezell, the offensive coordinator he played for during his breakout season at South Alabama. Lopez gives the Demon Deacons more mobility and upside at quarterback than they had a year ago, but the biggest concern is whether an offensive line that Jake Dickert has publicly challenged throughout the offseason can keep him upright.

The reason for optimism is a defense that was legitimately good last season and still has playmakers at multiple levels. Wake also lands in a number of interesting scheduling spots that could make the Demon Deacons a weekly headache for more talented ACC opponents. If the defense remains strong and Lopez can give them even a modest offensive upgrade, could Wake be better than the nine-win team we saw a year ago?

.

*📧 OUR FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:* solidverbal.com/newsletter

*☝️ SUPPORT THE SHOW:* verballers.com

*👉 FOLLOW ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST APPS:

🍎 Apple Podcasts: apple.co/3r2iQcY
🟢 Spotify: spoti.fi/45NCifc
🟡 Amazon Music: amzn.to/49irJmD
🟧 Overcast: bit.ly/SVOvercast
🎧 Pocket Casts: bit.ly/SVonPocketCasts
📱 Podcast Addict: bit.ly/SVPodcastAddict
📻 CastBox: castbox.fm/vc/2233040

*👉 .ly/46ckydQ

*👕 New Merch:* merch.solidverbal.com