Transfer portal · 2026
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Both windowsProjected two-deep impacti
+14
Projected two-deep roles added · 2026 arrivals
Wake Forest added 14 transfers projected into the two-deep (8 as starters) against 22 departures whose next roles aren’t tracked here. Every number on this page is counted, not modelled — no composite portal grade is published because no defensible one exists yet.
26
Arrivals
+4
22
Departures
0.85
Avg rating in
-0.00
0.86
Avg rating out
14
Proj two-deep in
—
—
Out roles untracked
14 of 26
’25 production in
—
9 of 22
’25 production out
How the roster changed
48 moves · 11 rooms touchediOffense0 net players
Replaced+3 players
OL
+5 in · −2 out · 3 proj starters in
InOut
Melvin Siani out to Texas drives the room.
Replaced—
TE
+1 in · −1 out
InOut
Landon Morris in from California drives the room.
Replaced—
RB
+2 in · −2 out
InOut
?
KD Daniels in from Florida drives the room.
Upgraded-1 player
QB
+1 in · −2 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
Gio Lopez in from North Carolina drives the room.
Depth concern-2 players
WR
+6 in · −8 out · 2 proj starters in
InOut
Chris Barnes out to Oklahoma State drives the room.
Defense+2 net players
Replaced+2 players
LB
+3 in · −1 out
InOut
?
Tylan McNichols in from UAB drives the room.
Upgraded+2 players
CB
+2 in · −0 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
No departures
Bernard Causey in from Georgia State drives the room.
Replaced—
DL
+2 in · −2 out
InOut
?
Mateen Ibirogba out to Texas Tech drives the room.
Depth concern-1 player
S
+1 in · −2 out
InOut
Joshua Patterson in from Iowa State drives the room.
Depth concern-1 player
EDGE
+1 in · −2 out
InOut
D.J. Johnson in from New Hampshire drives the room.
Specialists+2 net players
Upgraded+2 players
LS
+2 in · −0 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
No departures
Wyatt Freeman in from Rice drives the room.
No movement—
K
+0 in · −0 out
InOutNo arrivalsNo departures
No portal movement in this room.
No movement—
P
+0 in · −0 out
InOutNo arrivalsNo departures
No portal movement in this room.
ArrivalDepartureHeavy ring · proj starter inThin ring · rotation inDotted · depth role or no ’25 recordMarker size = ’25 production percentile (smallest = none recorded)
Did Wake Forest replace what it lost?
Role slots, not player-for-playerReplaced1 chain
QB
Starting slot
Out · to Liberty
Deshawn Purdie
rating 0.84 · 55th pctl ’25 production · 41/82 · 618 pass yds · 6 TD · 3 INT
Upgrade
High confidence
In · from North Carolina
Gio Lopez
rating 0.86 · 73rd pctl ’25 production · 170/261 · 1,747 pass yds · 10 TD · 5 INT · qb1 starter
Jan 8
▾ Detail
Partially replaced7 chains
WR
Starting slot
Out · to Oklahoma State
Chris Barnes
rating 0.90 · 90th pctl ’25 production · 39 rec · 547 yds · 3 TD · 143 rush yds
Partial replacement
High confidence
In · from Louisville
Antonio Meeks
rating 0.86 · 57th pctl ’25 production · 17 rec · 189 yds · 1 TD · x1 starter
Jan 15
▾ Detail
WR
Starting slot
Out · to Texas
Sterling Berkhalter
rating 0.91 · 76th pctl ’25 production · 30 rec · 416 yds · 2 TD
Partial replacement
High confidence
In · from Arkansas
Kam Shanks
rating 0.85 · 46th pctl ’25 production · 9 rec · 101 yds · 1 TD · h1 starter
Jan 11
▾ Detail
WR
Rotation slot
Out · to Florida
Micah Mays Jr.
rating 0.88 · 68th pctl ’25 production · 18 rec · 302 yds · 2 TD
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Duke
Chase Tyler
rating 0.86 · 49th pctl ’25 production · 4 rec · 120 yds · x2 rotation
Jan 5
▾ Detail
WR
Rotation slot
Out · to East Carolina
Jeremiah Melvin
rating 0.86 · 28th pctl ’25 production · 3 rec · 39 yds · 1 TD
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Rice
Drayden Dickmann
rating 0.85 · 70th pctl ’25 production · 37 rec · 323 yds · 3 TD · h2 rotation
Jan 10
▾ Detail
OL
Starting slot
Out · to Texas
Melvin Siani
rating 0.93 · 18th pctl ’25 production · 2 tkl
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Oregon State
Ryan Berger
rating 0.86 · rg1 starter
Jan 8
▾ Detail
DL
Rotation slot
Out · to Texas Tech
Mateen Ibirogba
rating 0.96 · 69th pctl ’25 production · 21 tkl · 3.5 TFL · 2 sk
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Weber State
Matt Herron
rating 0.84 · ng2 rotation
Jan 12
▾ Detail
LB
Rotation slot
Out · to unannounced
?
Darius Jones
20th pctl ’25 production · 4 tkl
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Dayton
Vincent Firenze
rating 0.86 · mlb2 rotation
Jan 9
▾ Detail
Not replaced1 chain
RB
Production lost
Out · to unannounced
?
Tate Carney
rating 0.83 · 9th pctl ’25 production · 1 KR · 26 yd avg
Unresolved
Room restocked · slot open
In
No starter/rotation addition
2 depth arrivals in room
Dec 10
▾ Detail
Quality vs experience
Portal rating
0.750.800.850.900.951.00
No ’25 production record
High-upside betProven impactDevelopmentalExperienced depth?
?
0th pctl25th pctl50th pctl75th pctl
’25 production · national position percentile
8 unrated moves not plotted — see the ledger
How much Wake Forest depends on transfers
Projected 2026 two-deep · 54 slotsQuarterback50%
1
1
Skill (RB/WR/TE)50%
6
1
5
Offensive line40%
6
4
Front seven (EDGE/DL/LB)40%
6
3
1
Secondary (CB/S)40%
6
3
1
Specialists40%
6
1
3
Returning signeesPrior-cycle transfers2026 transfers
43%
Projected two-deep from transfers
23 of 54 two-deep slots
13 of 27
Projected starters from transfers
8 from the 2026 cycle, 5 held over
38th
ACC percentile · transfer share
10th-most transfer-dependent two-deep of 17 ACC teams
Returning portal corePrior-cycle transfers still in the two-deep
Dallas Afalava
DL · from Idaho · 2025 cycle · DT1 starter
89th pctl
’25 production · Wake Forest
Frank Cusano
LB · from Washington State · 2025 cycle · WLB1 starter
71st pctl
’25 production · Wake Forest
Gabe Kirschke
EDGE · from Colorado State · 2025 cycle · DE21 starter
93rd pctl
’25 production · Wake Forest
Sascha Garcia
CB · from William & Mary · 2025 cycle · CB2 rotation
—
no ’25 record
Ashaad Williams
CB · from North Alabama · 2025 cycle · CB22 rotation
33rd pctl
’25 production · Wake Forest
Connor Calvert
K · from Washington State · 2025 cycle · PK1 starter
71st pctl
’25 production · Wake Forest
Will Loerzel
TE · from South Alabama · 2025 cycle · TE2 rotation
—
no ’25 record
Braylon Johnson
CB · from Virginia Tech · 2025 cycle · STAR1 starter
78th pctl
’25 production · Wake Forest
Where Wake Forest’s transfers came from — and where they went
Sources · 26 arrivals22 departures · destinations
Arrived from · 26
Non-FBS
8 players
ACC
6 players
SEC
4 players
American Athletic
3 players
Mountain West
2 players
Sun Belt
1 player
+
Other
2 players
Departed to · 22
Non-FBS
4 players
+
Unannounced
3 players
SEC
3 players
American Athletic
3 players
Big 12
2 players
Conference USA
2 players
+
Other
5 players
8arrivals came from Non-FBS programs — the single largest source.
14arrivals are projected straight into the two-deep (11 of 26 arrivals came from P4 leagues).
0departures stayed inside the ACC.
How the window developed
Cumulative net moves · in − out4 undated moves not plotted
All portal moves
48 of 48 moves match · 25 shownShow
Role in
Sort
PlayerPosDirectionOrigin / destinationRating’25 productionEligProjected roleDate
WD
Winter window · 3★
LM
Winter window · 3★
CT
Winter window · 3★
KD
Winter window · 3★
GL
Winter window · 3★
RB
Winter window · 3★
VF
Winter window · 3★
AM
Winter window · 3★
TO
Winter window · 3★
DJ
Winter window · 3★
WW
Winter window · 3★
SS
Winter window · 3★
BJ
Winter window · 3★
DD
Winter window · 3★
EO
Winter window · 3★
KS
Winter window · 3★
NC
Winter window · 3★
SM
Winter window · 3★