Wake Forest Names Robby Ashford Starting QB for Season

Robby Ashford, a former quarterback for Oregon, Auburn, and South Carolina, has been named the starting quarterback at Wake Forest by first-year head coach Jake Dickert. Ashford, who has started 11 games in his career and is known as a dual-threat quarterback with over 1,150 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns, transferred to Wake Forest in January and won the starting job after a fall camp competition. He will make his debut for the Demon Deacons against Kennesaw State on August 29, with the game airing on the ACC Network. Ashford's journey includes 10 starts at Auburn across 2022 and 2023, where he passed for 1,758 yards and ran for 927 yards, before spending the 2024 season as a backup at South Carolina. Meanwhile, former Rutgers quarterback Gavin Wimsatt has been named the starter at Jacksonville State, marking his first start since leading Rutgers to a winning season in 2023; he won the job over other transfers and returnees ahead of their opener against UCF. Both quarterbacks bring dual-threat capabilities and leadership to their new teams, with Ashford pairing with Wake Forest's new offensive coordinator Rob Ezell, and Wimsatt seen as a talented leader by Jacksonville State's coach Charlie Kelly.