Associated Press
WINSTON-SALEM ó Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe walked into the meeting room on campus to talk about his recruiting class Wednesday unannounced and without an escort, startling a couple of school employees.
The no-frills Grobe then sat down and chuckled when told that his 21-player class was without flash and considered the second-worst in the ACC.
“I think probably our kids come in with a little chip on their shoulder, which isn’t always bad,” Grobe said softly with a slight grin. “I wouldn’t trade the class that we’ve got right now for another class in the ACC.”
Wake Forest perhaps best features the other side of signing day, sitting near the bottom of recruiting classes for years.
Scout.com and Rivals.com rank this year’s group ahead of only Boston College in the ACC. But the low-profile formula has produced 28 wins, a conference title and three bowl games in the three years.
So even with Wake’s profile rising and more recruits considering the school, Grobe is sticking to his plan.
“We have to understand that what we’ve been doing in the past has been pretty good to us,” Grobe said. “So even though we’re in on more kids, we’ve just got to remember who we are and the kind of kids we need to win.”
And that includes getting players who will agree to redshirt.
That’s the case for the best-known name. Quarterback Brendan Cross of Alpharetta, Ga., son of former San Francisco 49ers center and TV analyst Randy Cross, will be far behind seniors Riley Skinner and Brett Hodges.
Grobe likes the balance of this class, although he had wished he had snagged a couple more offensive linemen.
Grobe did get four defensive backs, an area of need with the departures of starters Alphonso Smith and Chip Vaughn. Grobe raved about the speed of running back Josh Harris of Duncanville, Texas.
Defensive back D.J. Jones, of Jacksonville, Fla., could get the rare chance to play as a freshman. He’s already enrolled and will be eligible to take part in spring practice.
But the rest of the class will likely have to wait. It includes four players from North Carolina and two Associated Press All-State selections: offensive lineman Whit Barnes from Rocky Mount and linebacker Justin Jackson of Richmond County High School.