ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL KICKOFF

July 24, 2024

DeVonte Gordon

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Questions for DeVonte.

Q. What is the hunger in the program considering the way last season went, considering where you're at in your eligibility? What is the mindset and the hunger for you guys this season?

DEVONTE GORDON: Yeah, I'd say the hunger is high. Obviously last season didn't go as we had planned. That kind of motivated us this whole off-season. We've been working as hard as we ever have.

I know a lot of guys in my room and every other room on the team feel as though we left something on the table.

Every different direction you can say went wrong last year, but at the end of the day you have to take accountability and look at what you did wrong yourself. I think that's something that everybody has embraced this off-season. I think we're ready to attack this camp and see how far we can take it this season.

Q. You spoke on the fact that there are 17 starters coming back to this team. What it says not only about this team from the inside-out but what it says in a world of college football where we're not seeing things like that anymore.

DEVONTE GORDON: Yeah, 17 starters being back speaks volumes. We have trust in Coach. You're seeing a lot of players leave, all of these players coming back represents the program that we have here. Last year wasn't an expectation. Last year wasn't a representation of us. We trust each other to right what went wrong last year. We trust our coaches will lead us in the right way to bring Wake Forest where Wake Forest wants to be.

Q. Your time at Wake Forest, you've gone from the scout team to being a starter. That's a heck of a journey. When you reflect, what do you think about?

DEVONTE GORDON: Yeah, I think about that often.

It's kind of been a long journey for me. I came in a semester late because I had an injury in high school. When I first got here, I wasn't that experienced in football. Playing behind guys like Justin Herron and Zach Tom, who both also played left tackle, now in the NFL, continuing to ball and do their thing, really helped me with my development. Just modeling their work ethic and how they looked at the game and things like that.

Michael Jurgens last year helped me take a big step in my leadership because he rallied us at times we might look down. Say never quit. Playing behind offensive linemen that are really good and set really good examples for me, helped me come to where I am today.

Q. Last year it felt like Wake Forest got away from what made them so good, especially offensively. What was the conversation like of trying to get back to what the Wake Forest way is?

DEVONTE GORDON: I think a big part of that was taking accountability. Like I was playing, it's easy to point fingers, this went wrong and that went wrong. I guarantee there was a time that I messed up last year. I guarantee the guy next to me messed up last year.

I think looking within yourself, fixing the things within yourself and trusting the teammates who are with us, while I got to lead them, trusting they'll be able to get those things right, too.

Q. Recently in the transfer portal you picked up Hank Bachmeier, former Boise State and Louisiana Tech quarterback. What has it been like working with him?

DEVONTE GORDON: Been a great addition on and off the field. He's a great person. A great player. Someone that brings competitiveness to the room. He's competing for a job. Either way it goes, we have full support in both of those quarterbacks.

Any season you need two quarterbacks more or less. I'm really excited for him, what he can do, and I can't wait to see.