Returning Starters: 13 (9 offense, 4 defense)

Key Returnees: QB Riley Skinner, RB Josh Adams, RB Brandon Pendergrass, TE Ben Wooster, C Russell Nenon, OG Jeff Griffin, OG Barrett McMillan, OT Joe Birdsong, OT Chris DeGeare, DE Kyle Wilber, DT Boo Robinson, DT John Russell, CB Brandon Ghee

Key Losses: FB Rich Belton, WR Chip Brinkman, WR D.J. Boldin, DE Matt Robinson, LB Aaron Curry, LB Stanley Arnoux, LB Chantz McClinic, CB Alphonso Smith, CB Kerry Major, FS Chip Vaughn, SS Kevin Patterson

Wake Forest lost some major talent on the defensive side of the ball, with two linebackers and two defensive backs selected in the 2009 NFL Draft. However, they do return nine starters on offense, and should be one of the better offensive teams in the ACC behind senior quarterback Riley Skinner.

With the talent in the ACC looking up this season, it's not likely that Wake can challenge for an Atlantic Division championship. However, they do have the talent to go bowling for the fourth straight season under head coach Jim Grobe.

Quarterback Riley Skinner is perhaps the most underrated signal caller in the ACC. He currently holds the Wake Forest and ACC career record in completion percentage (67.3%), and the Wake Forest quarterback rating record (132.23). He has 26 wins as a starting quarterback, and he's looking to lead the Deacons to a fourth straight bowl as the starter.

Skinner has throw for over 4,000 career yards in his career. As a senior, he will need to cut down on his turnovers. The Wake Forest defense won't be as strong in 2009, so the offense will have to protect the ball. Skinner is a good fit for the Wake offensive system, but he also has talent. He is a gamer who has good feet in the pocket and knows how to escape pressure.

Wake loses both starting wide receivers in D.J. Boldin and Chip Brinkman. Boldin caught 81 passes last season, a mark which led the ACC. To make matters worse, r-freshman receiver Terence Davis tore his ACL in practice this week and will miss the season. Davis led Wake Forest with six receptions during the most recent scrimmage.

Wake has moved r-sophomore quarterback Skylar Jones to wide receiver. Jones was a highly-touted quarterback recruit who has not panned out, but he has been clocked in the past at a 4.33 in the 40 yard dash.

Marshall Williams, who had 390 receiving yards last season, will have to carry the load for the wideout corps in 2008. Other than him, there isn't much experience.

Despite the losses in the back seven, Wake Forest returns some good players on the defensive line in 2009, particularly at defensive tackle. Nose guard Boo Robinson is a disruptor on the interior with 15.5 tackles for loss in 26 career starts. He is joined by defensive tackle John Russell, who started all 13 games last year and made seven tackles for loss.

There is less experience at defensive end with the loss of Matt Robinson, but r-sophomore Kyle Wilber did play well in his seven starts in 2008. Depth could be an issue, but then again, depth is generally a problem for Wake, yet they figure out ways to get around it.

Wake Forest lost all three starters at linebacker. Aaron Curry was a first round draft pick, Stanley Arnoux was a fourth round pick, and Chantz McClintic had a very good senior season. Each started all 13 games last season. Junior linebacker Hunter Haynes started two games in 2007 as a freshman, and that is the only starting experience in the Wake Forest linebacking corps.

There should be dropoff at linebacker this year, and it will probably have the most impact against the pass. With a good defensive line, these linebackers should be able to be effective against the run, but teams should be able to throw the ball well against the Demon Deacons this year.

September 26 at Boston College will be a key game for Wake Forest. Five of Wake's first six games are on the road, and the Deacs will have a chance to steal that road win against BC. The margin of victory in games between these two teams since ACC expansion has been less than a touchdown.

Wake Forest will have a major advantage over Boston College at quarterback, so they should stand a good chance to go on the road and come away with a win. With their first five home games coming against Baylor, Stanford, Elon, NC State and Maryland, the Demon Deacons do have somewhat of a shot to start 6-0 despite all the defensive departures.

I've always had a lot of respect for head coach Jim Grobe, though most people under value Wake's talent level. With the rest of the ACC down over the last few years, there hasn't been a big talent difference between Wake and the rest of the league. Last year's NFL Draft proves that. The Demon Deacons had some major players on the defensive side of the ball.

I think Wake will struggle to stop the pass this year, but they'll still be tough in the trenches. They return five starters on the offensive line, so run blocking should be much improved. Last year it wasn't very good, and with tailback Josh Adams banged up, quarterback Riley Skinner had to shoulder the entire load.

This year Skinner can rely on an improved offensive line and a good one-two punch at tailback in Josh Adams and Brandon Pendergrass. The Wake offensive system should allow the offense to function well without the benefit of starting experience at wideout.

Wake Forest has never played in four straight bowl games before, and until last year they had never even played in three straight bowls. If Skinner can get his team to a bowl game for the fourth straight year, it would be a tremendous accomplishment. The Deacons seem to have enough coming back to finish around 7-5, which would send them bowling.