Very real questions for the Wake Defensive Secondary

There are some areas of certainty entering the summer of 2024 for Wake Forest football. The defensive secondary is not one of them. From replacing key talent to developing young players, there are some very real questions for Wake’s defensive secondary.

When we talked to the defensive coordinator Brad Lambert during camp he told us about the impact of running live scrimmage drills on two fields at the same time. Much has been said about how the new training camp system would develop younger players more quickly than has been the case at Wake Forest for years.

The same goes for the defense and we asked Lambert which part of his defense needed that development the most. Without hesitation, Lambert told us, “The defensive secondary.”

Talent lost

Part of the reason for that is attrition. The Demon Deacons lost their defensive backs Malik Mustafa, Chelen GarnesAnd Caelen Carson to the NFL. Mustapha was the leader of the defensive secondary last year, both in terms of on-field abilities and position space among his teammates. And this was before the veteran defensive back Dashawn Jones go to the transfer portal at the end of the camp.

We met with the Wake Safety coach James Adams at the end of spring camp. We asked him how he could replace someone with Mustapha’s skills. “You don’t have to replace it,” Adams told us. “He is a unique generational player.” After going through a list of Mustapha’s attributes, Adams said: “He proved me right as a coach for being the player he was.”

After discussing more on-field attributes, Adams discussed what he would be like if he had to be replaced off the field. “He was the alpha in the room, the voice in the room. He and Che (Garnes) had a unique balance of power in the room. Malik was the voice and Che was the hammer. They played off each other very well.”

Next in line

In addition to replacing these talents on the field, there is also a void off the field. How does that work now? Adams said he trusts it Nick Anderson and Evan Slocum as the voice and hammer, respectively.

“I hope that dynamic can come out with Nick and Evan. Evan is tough,” Adams said. ‘He’ll hit you between the screws. And Nick is tough. He will hit you. But Nick talks.” Adams said there is a need for two types of personalities and they need to balance themselves as a unit.

Anderson moves from the nickel position back to safety. The extra reps during camp were just as important for some veteran players as they were for the developing defensive backs.

Adams rotated his groupings throughout the camp, so it wasn’t necessarily the “ones” and “twos,” but he found combinations that worked. Part of that was to see what kind of coach Slocum could become on the field. “Now not only does he have to lead by example, but now you have to talk to him (the younger player) and make sure it’s a two-way conversation.” Adams added of his strategy, “I firmly believe that if you can teach it and coach it, you will know it.”

Changing the dynamics

Slocum admitted at the end of camp that he has always been more of a role model player. He told us that he has never been a vocal leader, but that he is trying to grow into that role with the younger players. Adams tries to pull it out of him. “He’s a watcher, a processor,” Adams said. “My big thing in this room is: I don’t want you to change your personality. I don’t want you to completely change who you are. But if you’re between those white lines, I want you to be the kind of security we need.

Adams said it’s a matter of wearing many hats as the defensive secondary’s quarterback and knowing which one is needed at what time.

Slocum is entering his fourth season at Wake Forest. He started 10 games and finished the season with 29 total tackles, 23 of which were solo. He also had one interception. Anderson is in his fifth season (including a Covid-exempt year for 2020 and a redshirt year). He finished 2023 with 33 tackles and an interception.

As good as they are, there’s still a gap between the guys who are in their first NFL training camps this summer and those looking to fill the void at Wake.

Youth served

Adams said all the extra work there is key for the younger players. He specifically brought up redshirt freshmen Rushaun tongue and true freshmen Myles Turpin. Adams said Turpin, who was an early enrollee this year, has already gained 14 pounds of muscle since arriving in Winston-Salem. He deliberately mentioned Turpin when making a comparison of his work habits and filmroom work with that of Mustapha.

There won’t be much time to assume the group will get together. It has to happen quickly. At the Spring scrimmage in mid-April, both offenses had a big play touchdown.

Head coach Dave Clawson said after the scrimmage that he was excited to see the offense produce big plays. But then there’s the realization that those big plays were against your own secondary, and you have to wonder how the receivers got so wide open.

Work that needs to be done

Clawson added that he needs all the defensive backs to come together as a unit to replace those who are gone. He was specific in mentioning freshman Tayshaun Burney, redshirt freshman Davaughn Patterson, as well as Capone Blue, the transfer from Kent State. Clawson said they need to elevate as a group to cover receivers in the ACC. “I tell these guys all the time that this is a position where if you get a 99% score on a game, it could cost us the football game.”

Growth, reps, maturity and work are all on Clawson’s short list of what’s needed at the position before the regular season begins.