2026 Miami Football Early Opponent Preview, Game 3: Wake Forest

With a tune-up home opener against FAMU in their rearview mirror, the Hurricanes will hit the road for their second ACC matchup of 2026 against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

Wake is no pushover on the gridiron, as is evidenced by their 9-4 record in 2025, but the last time these two matched up, the Hurricanes took the win in convincing fashion. Now, with both teams looking to build on promising 2025 campaigns, the matchup is back on in Winston-Salem.

For Miami, this is the first big test of the season after what should be tune-up games against Stanford and FAMU. More importantly, though, with few teams on Miami's ACC slate predicted to finish well in the conference, the U needs this to be a resumé-boosting win at the end of the season.

Jake Dickert made an impact on the program in his first season at the helm after coming over from Washington State, and will enter this season in search of a "prove yourself" win against the Canes.

2026 Miami Football Early Opponent Preview, Game 3: Wake Forest

The Offense

Wake Forest entered 2025 with many unanswered questions. It was the first Demon Deacon season in over a decade without Dave Clawson at its helm. Wake hired Washington State head coach Jake Dickert to get them back to their competitive ways. Dickert had Robby Ashford to work with under center, which meant he had one of the most complex problems in college football to solve before the year began.

Now, Ashford is gone, and Dickert found yet another project to undertake at the position: Gio Lopez. If the name sounds familiar, it's because he spent last year under center for a North Carolina team that was riddled with controversy under first-year head coach Bill Belichick. He came to Chapel Hill following a solid season at South Alabama and will now look to rebound in Winston-Salem.

Ashford wasn't the only backfield member they needed to replace, though. The 2025 starting running back, Demond Claiborne, graduated after last year. However, Ty Clark is returning after he rushed for a little over 300 yards last year, and Florida transfer running back KD Daniels will also look to make an immediate impact.

The Deacons might elect for a by-committee approach at that spot, but without a doubt, the leading receiver will be Carlos Hernandez, who led the team last year in receiving yardage with 611 and is back with the Deacs in 2026. Hernandez also caught three touchdown passes last season.

Defense

While many Wake fans are excited about the potential of the offense, the real laurels that the Deacs plan to rest on in 2026 are on the defensive side of the ball. Wake returns 15 of its 22 leading tacklers on a team that finished inside the top 45 in the country in defensive rating.

The headliner for the Deacs is redshirt senior Langston Hardy, who earned an All-ACC Honorable Mention for his efforts last season. He racked up seven sacks in 2025, good enough to lead the team, and will look to best that number in 2026. According to PFF, Hardy was the third-highest-rated defender on the team last year.

A solid linebacking corps operates as the heart of the Wake defense and will get a good chunk of its productivity back in 2026, including the team's third-leading tackler, Aiden Hall. The Alabama native has high expectations placed on him this year and will be a leader on that side of the ball.

Overall, the Deacs' secondary isthe biggest question mark on defense, as they're relying on two transfers to make plays on the outside corners with Deuce Blades from FIU and Bernard Causey from Georgia State. If Miami is going to hurt the Deacons, its easiest route to doing so will be on the perimeter.

Schedule

Game three is the first true litmus test of the year for the Hurricanes. The coaching staff will likely be able to glean only so much from games against Stanford and FAMU. Dickert ended last season with a convincing win over Mississippi State to reach 9 wins and will look to beat that mark in 2026. A win against the Hurricanes would be quite the feather in the cap for the second-year head coach.

That being said, the U is looking to make another run to the national championship game, and they need solid wins over quality opponents to get there. This will be the first opportunity for such a win in 2026, so Mario Cristobal and staff shouldn't need to convince the locker room to get excited for the matchup.

Miami will more than likely be the favorite again, but not as heavily in its first two games. A convincing win over a physical team like Wake will be a solid early résumé boost before the Hurricanes return home for the second matchup at Hard Rock Stadium in 2026.

Outlook

This will be an early physical test for Miami and should serve as the first true litmus test of progress compared to last year's National Championship runner-up squad. Wake will have the home-field advantage, but the Hurricanes should overcome that.

Miami may take a second to adjust to the level of physicality after an easy first two weeks, but once they do, they should pull out a convincing win against the Deacs.

The Game

Date: September 18

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Location: Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Series History: Miami leads 9-3

Last Meeting: 2024

The Team

The Coach: Jake Dickert

Offensive Coordinator: Rob Ezell

Defensive Coordinator: Scottie Hazelton

2025 Record: 9-4

2025 Rankings: 64th Total Offense, 45th Total Defense

Players to Watch: Langston Hardy, EDGE, RS Sr.

Top Newcomer: KD Daniels, RB, RS So., Florida

Biggest Question: Can Dickert's offense improve with its new pieces?

The School

Location: Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Founded: February 3, 1834

Enrollment: ~9,300

Nickname: The Demon Deacons

Colors: Wake Forest Gold, Black

Mascot: Demon Deacon

The Program

Last Win in the Series: 1944

Last ACC Title: 2006

National Championships: N/A

Playoff Appearances: N/A

Last missed bowl season: 2024

Heisman Trophies: N/A

The Schedule

September 18, 7:30 p.m., Miami Hurricanes @ Wake Forest Demon Deacons

This is the second story in Miami Hurricanes on SI's early preview series of all 12 regular-season opponents for Miami football in 2026.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/miami as 2026 Miami Football Early Opponent Preview, Game 3: Wake Forest.

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This story was originally published June 14, 2026 at 6:00 AM.