At last, Wake Forest is a nationally ranked college football team.
The Demon Deacons, who have been flirting with a Top 25 ranking the past few weeks, finally knocked down the door after Saturday’s impressive 38-14 win at NC State.
Wake Forest (5-1, 3-1 ACC) enters the latest Associated Press rankings, released on Sunday afternoon, at No. 21, while the Deacs appear at No. 23 in the most recent coaches poll.
This is the first time Wake Forest has been ranked by a major poll since late October 2022. The Deacs are one of three ACC teams ranked by the AP this week, joining Miami (3rd) and SMU (24th).
Wake Forest has built one of the more impressive resumes among FBS teams in the first half of the season. The win over NC State was the Deac’s third road victory against a Power 4 opponent. Only one other FBS team has done that thus far. The team’s only loss came to Miami, and the Deacons made the Hurricanes uncomfortable in the second half of that one.
Wake outscored NC State 28-0 in the second half Saturday to overcome a 14-10 intermission deficit. Coach Jake Dickert’s team outgained the Wolfpack 265-63 over the final two periods.
Quarterback Gio Lopez continued his hot start to the season, completing 26-of-33 passes for 303 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for a score. He was on target on each of his last 13 throws.
Rank. Wake. — Eric Mac Lain (@EricMacLain) October 10, 2026
Carlos Hernandez and Jack Foley served as Lopez’s most reliable receivers. Hernandez made 12 catches for 117 yards and a score. Foley had a career day, making eight receptions for 156 yards and a touchdown.
Langston Hardy and Vincent Firenze each had eight tackles to lead the defense.
More notes on the Deacons after their latest win, courtesy of Wake Forest sports information and ACC stats:
- This was Wake Forest’s third-largest win against NC State in Raleigh – and the most lopsided since the school moved to Winston-Salem in 1956.
- Saturday’s victory marked the first time Wake Forest has beaten NCSU in back-to-back trips to Raleigh since the 1951 and 1953 seasons.
- Through its first six games, Wake Forest is averaging 36.8 points per game – fourth-best in the ACC.
- Gio Lopez now has 1,680 passing yards on the season, second-best in the league behind Virginia Tech’s Ethan Grunkmeyer (1,734).
- Carlos Hernandez continues to lead the ACC in receiving yards (720) – 116 yards more than his nearest competitor, Malachi Toney of Miami.
- Placekicker Connor Calvert is third in the ACC in scoring with 53 points, hitting 10 field goals and making 23 PATs.
- Coach Jake Dickert is now 14-5 since taking over the Wake Forest program before the start of the 2025 season.
What’s Next for Wake Forest Football?
The Demon Deacons have proven they belong in the Top 25 conversation. Now they have to show they have staying power. Wake Forest’s first test since being ranked could be a tricky one – a Saturday night trip to Cal this weekend. The ACC “After Dark” game kicks off at 10:30 p.m. ET.
👉 View the complete Wake Forest 2026 football schedule
👉 View the latest ACC Football Standings
