This page serves as NC Football News’ recruiting hub for Wake Forest football, tracking commitments, recruiting news, signing day updates and transfer portal movement involving the Demon Deacons.
Throughout the year, we’ll update this page with the latest additions to Wake Forest’s recruiting classes, incoming and outgoing transfers, player profiles and links to our recruiting coverage.
Bookmark this page and check back regularly as the future of Wake Forest football continues to take shape.
🔄 Last Updated: July 2, 2026
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2027 Football Commits
2026 Football Commits
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Wake Forest 2027 Football Commits
Wake Forest 2027 Football CommitsTotal Commits: 30
247Sports Ranking: 42nd (7/2/2026)
North Carolina Commits: 4
Offense: 16
Defense: 14
| WAKE FOREST 2027 | POS | HT | WT | HOMETOWN | HIGH SCHOOL | COMMITTED TO | STATUS | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walter Maestre Jr. | WR | 6-3 | 180 | Miami, FL | True North Classical | Wake Forest | Verbal 6/30/2026 | Caught 6 TD passes, recorded 4 INTs for Coweta HS in GA (2025) |
| Xavier Brown | WR | 6-1 | 170 | Forestville, MD | Bishop McNamara | Wake Forest | Verbal 6/24/2026 | Junior season stats (2025): 32 catches, 748 yards, 7 TDs |
| Michael Golden | OT | 6-6 | 270 | Avon, CT | Avon Old Farms | Wake Forest | Verbal 6/22/2026 | All-state performer helped Greenwich High to back-to-back state titles |
| Carter Myers | TE | 6-6 | 210 | Caledonia, OH | River Valley HS | Wake Forest | Verbal 6/21/2026 | Two-sport standout also plays hoops; WF was first P4 offer |
| RJ Clem | OT | 6-6 | 265 | Logansport, IN | Logansport HS | Wake Forest | Verbal 6/21/2026 | 84-inch wingspan, recruiting surged during spring evaluations |
| Brendan Meaney | OT | 6-6 | 260 | Janesville, IA | Janesville HS | Wake Forest | Verbal 6/20/2026 | Top-20 Iowa prospect is a state qualifier in shotput, plays baseball & hoops |
| Josiah Ampofo | DL | 6-2 | 275 | Washington, DC | St. John’s College | Wake Forest | Verbal 6/19/2026 | Junior season stats: 34 tackles, 21 TFLs, 7.5 sacks; Top 5 player from DC |
| Esa Wittingburg | EDGE | 6-3 | 230 | East Orange, NJ | East Orange Campus | Wake Forest | Verbal 6/18/2026 | Top-30 player in NJ also visited NCSU, Vandy, Northwestern |
| McCoy Richardson | DL | 6-3 | 280 | Springfield, MA | Springfield Central HS | Wake Forest | Verbal 6/18/2026 | 247Sports: “Sleeper” defensive tackle also favored Tulane, Delaware |
| Joshua Simmons | EDGE | 6-5 | 240 | New Rochelle, NY | Iona Prep | Wake Forest | Verbal 6/16/2026 | No. 5 player in NY (247Sports), also played TE in 2025 |
| Smith Stringer | QB | 6-6.5 | 190 | Hattiesburg, MS | Presbyterian Christian | Wake Forest | Verbal 6/14/2026 | 2,783 passing yards, 37 TDs, 7 INTs; Regional MVP |
| Randolph “RJ” Ross | WR | 6-2 | 170 | Garner, NC | South Garner HS | Wake Forest | Verbal 6/14/2026 | 48 catches, 836 yards, 9 TDs as a junior in 2025 |
| Jacquari Parks | CB | 5-11.5 | 160 | Jacksonville, FL | Ed White HS | Wake Forest | Verbal 6/13/2026 | Picked off four passes, with 6 PBUs during 2025 |
| Brenham Cherne | DL | 6-2 | 270 | Melissa, TX | Melissa HS | Wake Forest | Verbal 6/12/2026 | Texas District 4 Defensive Lineman of the Year, first-team all-state |
| Sammy Dantonka | EDGE | 6-2 | 225 | Springfield, PA | Cardinal O’Hara | Wake Forest | Verbal 6/12/2026 | One of PA’s top edge rushers picked Deacs over WVU, Cincy |
| Carter Hawkins | WR | 6-0 | 177 | St. Stephen, SC | Timberland HS | Wake Forest | Verbal 6/8/2026 | 25 catches in eight games last season for 426 yards, 8 TDs |
| Zy Tassin | SAF | 6-2 | 190 | Crestview, FL | Crestview HS | Wake Forest | Verbal 6/8/2026 | Productive on both sides of the ball, starting at safety and QB |
| Carl Jones Jr. | CB | 6-0 | 155 | Tampa, FL | Tampa Catholic | Wake Forest | Verbal 6/6/2026 | |
| Peyton Schuster | OT | 6-6 | 275 | Waterford, WI | Waterford HS | Wake Forest | Verbal 6/6/2026 | Decommitted from Wyoming in May, pledged to WF a month later |
| Brady Moranski | OT | 6-4 | 275 | Germantown, WI | Germantown HS | Wake Forest | Verbal 6/3/2026 | A top-15 player in Wisconsin, per 247Sports |
| Aaron Smith | WR | 6-1 | 175 | Virginia Beach, VA | Floyd Kellam HS | Wake Forest | Verbal 5/31/2026 | Hauled in 69 catches for 1,267 yards and 8 TDs in 2025 |
| Keland Shelton Jr. | LB | 6-3 | 205 | Charlotte, NC | Chambers HS | Wake Forest | Verbal 5/31/2026 | Big pickup for Wake Forest, outdueling SEC, Big Ten powers for his commitment |
| Elijah Wright | EDGE | 6-2 | 245 | Fulshear, TX | Katy Jordan HS | Wake Forest | Verbal 4/20/2026 | Recorded 14 TFLs, 5 sacks and 44 tackles as a junior |
| Darryn Williams | LB | 6-0 | 210 | Gainesville, GA | Gainesville HS | Wake Forest | Verbal 4/17/2026 | 5 pick-sixes, 103 tackles, 11 TFLs, 6 INTs, all-state honorable mention in 2025 |
| Rilee Drew | CB | 5-10 | 168 | Loganville, GA | Grayson HS | Wake Forest | Verbal 4/17/2026 | More than 30 FBS offers, summer visits set up for Wake, Kansas, Kansas State |
| Logan Steele | S/ATH | 5-10 | 170 | Coal Township, PA | Shamokin Area HS | Wake Forest | Verbal 4/8/2026 | Multi-faceted standout: 10 TD passes, 21 rushing TDs, picked off 9 passes in 2025 |
| Aiden Hartnett | OL | 6-3 | 295 | Plantation, FL | American Heritage HS | Wake Forest | Verbal 4/3/2026 | Picked Deacs over offers from Maryland, USF, UMass and others |
| Emmett Queen | QB | 6-3 | 215 | Fort Mitchell, KY | Beechwood HS | Wake Forest | Verbal 3/23/2026 | Threw for 2,710 yards, 45 TDs, 2 INTs as a junior |
| Steele Fletcher | WR | 5-7 | 160 | Charlotte, NC | Providence Day School | Wake Forest | Verbal 2/12/2026 | 2025 state champion has great speed, explosive kick-return skills |
| Charlie Reece | OT | 6-5 | 255 | Winston-Salem, NC | Oak Grove HS | Wake Forest | Verbal 2/5/2026 | Picked WF over winter 2026 offers from Liberty, Elon |
| DECOMMITED: | ||||||||
| Gary Chatman Jr. | QB | 6-1 | 190 | Snellville, GA | Brookwood HS | Decommitted WF | 5/5/2026 | Committed to Auburn on 5/9/2026 |
2027 Wake Forest Recruiting Snapshot
Recent Commits
Walter Maestre, WR, Miami, FL (True North Classical Academy)
- Committed to Wake Forest on June 30, 2026, becoming the Demon Deacons’ 30th pledge for the 2027 high school class.
- 6-3, 180-pound wide receiver
- Three stars, the No. 136 player in Florida and the No. 165 wide receiver nationally from 247Sports (as of July 2, 2026)
- Reported 18 offers, including 15 from Power 4 programs like Arkansas, Florida, Georgia Tech, Indiana, South Carolina, Southern Cal and Miami. Visited Wake Forest on June 12.
- Transferring to True North Classical Academy, a public charter school in Miami for the 2026 season. Played for East Coweta High in Sharpsburg, GA in 2025.
- Junior season stats (2025): 24 catches, 356 yards, 6 TDs on offense; 26 tackles 4 INTs on defense. Also completed his only pass for a 61-yard touchdown.
- Sophomore season stats (2024): 18 catches, 223 yards, 4 TDs
June 23 Update: Wake Forest class grows to 27 commits, most in the state
Wake Forest continued one of the nation’s busiest recruiting runs during the final weekend before the NCAA dead period, adding six more commitments to push its 2027 class to 27 total pledges. The Deacons now hold the largest known recruiting class among North Carolina programs and rank No. 38 nationally in the 247Sports Composite team rankings.
Recent additions include TE Carter Myers (Ohio), OT RJ Clem (Indiana), OT Brendan Meaney (Iowa) and DL Josiah Ampofo (Washington, D.C.).
June 19, 2026 Update
Wake Forest’s 2027 recruiting class grew to 23 with the addition of two more defensive pledges from the Northeast: Edge Esa Wittingburg from New Jersey and tackle McCoy Richardson from Massachusetts.
The Deacs continued one of the busiest June recruiting runs in North Carolina, adding 13 commitments since June 1 alone.
June 12, 2026 Update
Wake Forest’s 2027 class is starting to have a distinct shape as summer official visits and camp season heats up.
- Fast start under Dickert: Coming off a nine-win season in Jake Dickert’s first year, Wake Forest has already secured 15 commitments and built one of the largest classes in the ACC. Athletes wanted: Several commitments have excelled in multiple phases of the game, including safety-quarterback Zy Tassin, two-way standout Logan Steele and versatile linebacker Darryn Williams, reflecting the staff’s emphasis on athleticism and playmaking ability.
- Building around the passing game: Wake Forest has landed four wide receivers and a quarterback, led by Emmett Queen (45 touchdown passes in 2025) and Aaron Smith (1,267 receiving yards).
- Trenches remain a priority: Four offensive linemen are already committed, including Wisconsin prospects Brady Moranski and Peyton Schuster, giving the Deacons a strong foundation up front.
- Winning the home-state battles: North Carolina commitments Charlie Reece, Steele Fletcher and Keland Shelton Jr. give Wake an early in-state core, highlighted by Shelton’s pledge over several SEC and Big Ten programs.
- National reach: The class currently includes commitments from nine states, with Wake Forest successfully recruiting from traditional talent areas such as Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Texas.
- June momentum: Five commitments have joined the class since June 1, including recent additions Sammy Dantonka, Carter Hawkins and Zy Tassin as official visit season ramps up.
Wake Forest 2026 Football Commits
| WAKE COMMIT | POS | HOMETOWN | SCHOOL | COMMITTED | VERBAL | SIGNED |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walker Bryson | S | Rabun Gap, GA | Rabun Gap-Nacoochee | Wake Forest | 11/30/2025 | 12/3/2025 |
| Richard Dyce | LB | Douglasville, GA | Douglas County HS | Wake Forest | 11/26/2025 | 12/3/2025 |
| Michael Ahoua | ATH | Avon, CT | Avon Old Farms | Wake Forest | 11/25/2025 | 12/3/2025 |
| Cooper Long | DL | Salisbury, CT | Salisbury School | Wake Forest | 11/24/2025 | 12/3/2025 |
| Lucas Smalls-Allen | DL | Roswell, GA | Blessed Trinity Catholic | Wake Forest | 11/24/2025 | 12/3/2025 |
| Kyndall McCaleb | RB | Painesville, OH | Riverside HS | Wake Forest | 11/19/2025 | 12/3/2025 |
| Langston Hogg | OL | Cartersville, GA | Cartersville HS | Wake Forest | 11/18/2025 | 12/3/2025 |
| Micah Bright | S | Cornelius, NC | Hough HS | Wake Forest | 11/18/2025 | 12/3/2025 |
| Sefa Sackey | EDGE | Cincinnati, OH | Deer Park HS | Wake Forest | 11/14/2025 | 12/3/2025 |
| Cade Holles | EDGE | Englewood, CO | Cherry Creek HS | Wake Forest | 11/13/2025 | 12/3/2025 |
| Dylan Durbin | OT | Corpus Christi, TX | Veterans Memorial HS | Wake Forest | 11/6/2025 | 12/3/2025 |
| Larry Warren | CB | Seffner, FL | Armwood HS | Wake Forest | 10/1/2025 | 12/3/2025 |
| Fletcher Turk | OL | Dacula, GA | Hebron Christian | Wake Forest | 9/21/2025 | 12/3/2025 |
| Maximilian Tillfeldt Retsler | TE | Sweden | RIG Academy | Wake Forest | 9/2/2025 | 12/3/2025 |
| Kobe Adeleke-Hokes | WR | Suwanee, GA | Peachtree Ridge HS | Wake Forest | 7/6/2025 | 12/3/2025 |
| Alton “AJ” Marks | CB | Bradenton, FL | IMG Academy | Wake Forest | 7/5/2025 | 12/3/2025 |
| Isaac Nelson | SAF | Carmel, IN | Carmel HS | Wake Forest | 6/27/2025 | 12/3/2025 |
| Dominick Barry | TE | Greenwood, IN | Center Grove HS | Wake Forest | 6/23/2025 | 12/3/2025 |
| Devin Goldston | WR | Raleigh, NC | Leesville Road HS | Wake Forest | 6/23/2025 | 12/3/2025 |
| Dalton DeBoer | OL | Waukee, IA | Northwest HS | Wake Forest | 6/22/2025 | 12/3/2025 |
| Somad Eaddy | CB | Greer, SC | Riverside HS | Wake Forest | 6/22/2025 | 12/3/2025 |
| Elijah Otieno | WR | Forney, TX | North Forney HS | Wake Forest | 6/19/2025 | 12/3/2025 |
| Mahamadou Siby | CB | Trophy Club, TX | Bryon Nelson HS | Wake Forest | 6/16/2025 | 12/3/2025 |
| Monroe Partin | LB | Daphne, AL | Bayside Academy | Wake Forest | 6/16/2025 | 12/3/2025 |
| Christian Lawrence | RB | Thomasville, GA | Thomas County Central | Wake Forest | 6/15/2025 | 12/3/2025 |
| Christian Harris | DT | Cincinnati, OH | Archbishop Moeller HS | Wake Forest | 6/15/2025 | 12/3/2025 |
| Ryan Harrington | EDGE | Orchard Lake, MI | St. Mary’s | Wake Forest | 6/13/2025 | 12/3/2025 |
| Grant Lawless | QB | Denver, NC | East Lincoln HS | Wake Forest | 6/4/2025 | 12/3/2025 |
| Gannon Jones | QB | Raleigh, NC | Cardinal Gibbons | Wake Forest | 5/29/2025 | 12/3/2025 |
| Brady Shust | TE | Montvale, NJ | St. Joseph Regional | Wake Forest | 5/23/2025 | 12/3/2025 |
Wake Forest 2026 Incoming Transfers
| WAKE TRANSFER IN | POS | HOMETOWN | LAST SCHOOL | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bernard Causey III | CB | New Orleans, LA | Georgia State | |
| Brian Blades II | CB | Fort Lauderdale, FL | Florida International | |
| Matt Herron | DL | Salt Lake City, UT | Weber State | |
| Sydir Mitchell | DL | Oradell, NJ | LSU | |
| DJ Johnson | EDGE | Wilbraham, MA | New Hampshire | |
| Buom Jock | LB | Alexandria, VA | California | |
| Tylan McNichols | LB | Decatur, MS | UAB | |
| John Ohnegian | OL | Montvale, NJ | Bucknell | |
| Will Way | OL | Tucson, AZ | Weber State | |
| Ethan Calloway | OT | Mooresville, NC | LSU | |
| Ryan Berger | OT | Portland, OR | Oregon State | |
| Tolu Olajide | OT | Lawrenceville, NJ | New Hampshire | |
| Gio Lopez | QB | Madison, AL | North Carolina | |
| KD Daniels | RB | West Point, MS | Florida | |
| Sawyer Seidl | RB | Saint Paul, MN | North Dakota | |
| Joshua Patterson | SAF | Jacksonville, FL | Iowa State | |
| Vincent Firenze | SAF | Camillus, NY | Dayton | |
| Landon Morris | TE | Indianapolis, IN | California | |
| Antonio Meeks | WR | Snellville, GA | Louisville | |
| Chase Tyler | WR | Hiram, GA | Duke | |
| Drayden Dickmann | WR | Georgetown, TX | Rice | |
| Kam Shanks | WR | Prattville, AL | Arkansas | |
| Ny Carr | WR | Moultrie, GA | Miami | |
| Wondame Davis Jr. | WR | Ennis, TX | UTEP |
Latest Wake Forest Football Recruiting Headlines
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