ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL KICKOFF

July 24, 2024

Taylor Morin

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Taylor.

Q. Commissioner Jim Phillips deemed this conference as the conference of the quarterbacks. What can fans expect for you to bring to the table?

TAYLOR MORIN: Conference of quarterbacks with me being a wide receiver means I'm going to have to go out there and make some plays. Same with everybody in our room. Getting a guy like Donavon Greene back is huge for us. Guys like Walker Merrill, Horatio Fields, Deuce Alexander, Micah Mays, getting guys like that going. A quarterback is not a quarterback without some big-time weapons on the outside that can make some plays.

Q. How has your game and skills developed during your time at Wake? Also the anticipation for you, the eagerness to take on a bigger role this year?

TAYLOR MORIN: I'm really excited. I think being at Wake Forest I've gotten the opportunity to play both inside in the slot and outside. So being able to learn from the best of the best, it feels like our receiver room over the past couple of years has really been top-notch. Being able to learn from those guys has truly been a blessing. Learning from Coach Higgins, former wide receiver coach, and our current receiver coach, Coach Confesor. It's really been a blessing.

I've had the opportunity to wear multiple hats within the offense, also on special teams as well. I'm very fortunate to be in the position that I am today.

Q. In your time at Wake Forest, you've been on the receiving end working with a lot of different quarterbacks. What did you see in spring from Bachmeier and Kern that gives you confidence for this season?

TAYLOR MORIN: A lot of things to be excited about. I think like DeVo said, we have full confidence in both of those guys. Hank has come in, done a tremendous job getting up to speed with the offense. Michael Kern obviously finished the year strong like he did last season. Excited about both of those guys.

Like DeVo said, we're more than likely going to need both of them to finish the season strong. If it goes past that, we have some young talent in that room as well that we're excited about and can get ready.

Q. Over 160 catches, 2200 yards receiving, then special teams, 700 yards. Of everything that we've seen from you already, what do you have left in the tank?

TAYLOR MORIN: Got to leave it all out there. That doesn't just start with me, it starts with all of our captains, all of our older fourth, fifth, sixth year guys. We're an older football team. We're ready to leave it out there, whether that's maximizing hours in the weight room, in the film room, making sure we're doing everything right from a sleep and nutrition perspective. It's really our last go around for a lot of us guys. Whatever it takes to win, we're ready to do that and get Wake Forest right back where it belongs.

Q. I don't know if you're a man of stats, but you entered the top 10 in Wake Forest history in receiving yards, along with your former teammate A.T. Perry. What does that mean to you? Have you talked to A.T. about that?

TAYLOR MORIN: It means the world to me. Very humbling to be mentioned in that stat category alongside A.T.

Truthfully, when you say things like that, I think about the guys that made that possible. I think about catching balls from Sam Hartman. I think about DeVo pass protecting. I think about Demond Claiborne, Christian Beal-Smith, guys like that back there that are taking on linebackers, blitzing full speed ahead. It really is a full-team effort.

A lot of times wide receivers get a lot of the credit. There's a lot more that goes into it than just me catching the football.

I'm very thankful to have had the success that I have because of those guys.

Q. You are a multiple recipient of ACC All Academic Team, at least three times. What does it stay to balance academics and athletics?

TAYLOR MORIN: Time management. You don't come to a place like Wake Forest and not go after getting a meaningful degree. Just figuring out time, planning ahead to be able to study, then make sure that's not taking away from what I have to do on the football field.

Time management is huge. I've been very fortunate to be able to get my undergraduate degree in engineering from Wake Forest. Now I'm working on my MBA degree, finishing up in December. That's something that I'm really excited about.

Like DeVo said, we're trying to win the game of life, not just the game of football. It's truly a blessing to be able to go to a school like Wake Forest.