Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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11. WAKE FOREST NOV. 17 2011 record: 6-7 Last Meeting: Notre Dame 24, Wake Forest 17 (2011) Impact Player: WR Michael Cam- panaro — He steps into the main re- ceiver role this season after catching 73 passes for 833 yards as sopho- more. He's small (5-10, 190 pounds), but Wake Forest is hoping he'll be a carbon copy of record-setting receiver Chris Givens. Outlook: The story of Wake Forest's season will begin and end with the offensive line. Center Gar- rick Williams is the lone lineman on the roster with starting experience. Head coach Jim Grobe said the group made progress in the spring by nailing down three of the five starting positions, but is nowhere near where it needs to be. Their top candidate at left tackle, Dylan Heartsill, sat out the last three weeks of spring with a back injury. The Demon Deacons have plenty of experience elsewhere. The defense returns seven starters and should be highlighted by a strong secondary. Sopho- more cornerback Merrill Noel is one of the most athletic players they've had in Winston-Salem in a while and the coaching staff thinks they won't lose a step at safety while replacing two fifth-year seniors. Tanner Price returns for his third year at quar- terback. He threw 20 touchdowns and only six in- terceptions last year and should take another step forward if he gets time to throw. Spring Storyline: The offensive line was Grobe's top priority in the spring, but finding someone to consistently run behind them was also high on the to-do list. Redshirt junior Josh Harris (5.1 yards per attempt in his career) is easily the most talented candidate. He struggled to stay healthy last season. In the spring, he managed to play through some pain and prove he was becoming a more reliable op- tion. He and sophomore Orville Reynolds will each take carries for the Demon Deacons next season. JOSH HARRIS PHOTO COURTESY WAKE FOREST JUNE/JULY 2012 69