Feb. 2, 2005

Coach Grobe Quotes

Opening Statement:
"I think for us we've been able to improve our classes every year that we've been here, and every class is better than the one before. And this one is no exception, maybe even a little better than we expected. I think we really got us some good kids in early. We got a lot of early commitments and my staff did a really good job of hanging onto these guys. I think that the best thing we have right now at Wake Forest is the continuity in our staff. Most of these guys have been around for a long time, we've developed a trust with high school coaches, and I think we've developed a reputation where kids feel comfortable coming and playing at Wake Forest and that's certainly evident this year in our recruiting."

On competing with so-called football schools:
"We beat out a lot of high profile schools on some pretty good players, so I'm excited about this class. I think this is our fourth full recruiting class, and we're getting to the point where we'll start rolling these classes right through and start having the kind of depth that you need to compete in this conference."

On the emphasis on offense in this class:
"We've gotten into that cycle where we're more of an offensive football team, and in this class we've gotten a lot of guys on defense, so it's kind of an every other year thing for offense and defense....We've filled some really important defensive needs....We always need a couple speed corners and we've gotten that taken care of....I think our defensive interior was a concern, our defensive ends were fine, but I think we needed some inside tackles and we got that taken care of. We really weren't looking for a linebacker but I don't think we could have found a better one than in Midgett. We couldn't pass him up, but I feel good about the guys that we took in on defense."

On the large class:
"I really honestly did not want to take 22 scholarship kids this year, I would be more comfortable with 18 or 19 kids, but I feel like we're going to have to possibly play four or five of these kids this year....I don't feel like there's any other greater need than on the offensive line, so with seven offensive linemen, if we play two or three of them that still gives us a chance to redshirt four of them or five of them and then in next year's class, we wouldn't be looking to bring as many or any offensive linemen if any in because we'll split this class and play some next year and red shirt some of them, so in the long run that will balance out and be pretty good for us."

On potential immediate impact players:
"I think the other kids that you'll be looking at are probably the bigger kids...If you look at Boomer Peterson, the kid from Lincoln, Nebraska, 6'5", 295 pounds...We feel like size gives you a chance to play a little quicker on the offensive and defensive lines. I think all the kids probably have a chance, but the bigger guys may a chance to physically take that pounding a little more than the guys that need more growth."

On looking for "Wake Forest" kids:
"We were in competition with some really good programs in the ACC ....with a lot of kids, not just a couple of kids...and one thing that happened to us is that some of the kids that we didn't have a lot of competition with was that they were committed so early and wouldn't change their commitment, and schools tried to come back in on them and they just decided that Wake Forest was where they wanted to be."

On getting highly-touted players:
"We have a lot of kids in this class who a lot of other people thought were fine football players. It wasn't a deal where we went up and found 22 diamonds in the rough, a lot of these kids were heavily recruited."

On having an emphasis on in-state players:
"Every year in the state of North Carolina, we try as hard as we possibly can to bring in a good share of players from within the state. We find that kids that are close by, they have a lot of people come to every game and it seems to be very important to them and so the in state kids are really, really big. We got six and we would have taken more if we could have found them and one of the problems that we always have at Wake Forest is finding kids that not only fit football wise that can play and compete in the ACC, but kids that can take care of their kids academically at Wake Forest so it shrinks our recruiting pool."

More on in-state players:
"I think my staff has done a great job. Everybody on my staff has an in-state area and we take North Carolina very seriously. As I said, we took six and the thing about the six that we took ...most of them were heavily recruited and they're all very flat football players. I like our North Carolina kids, I really do."

On Brandon Ghee:
"Brandon Ghee was recruited by everybody and it was nice having his brother Patrick here. Sometimes brothers split and the little brother doesn't want to follow the big brother, but I think that tells you how close that family is. Brandon always knew he wanted to come to Wake Forest"

On who could play immediately:
"It wouldn't surprise me at all to play two or three of these offensive linemen. I think the other area is tight end. I think anyone of our three new defensive linemen have an opportunity as well. These guys can play. I hope some of the new kids that we've got in the program we'll be able to hold off on and red shirt these guys. It's hard to come in as a kid and be the best player. He might be very talented, but we can't have him come in and just play five or six snaps a game. "

On raising expectionations:
"I think our player's expectations are much higher for next year. The coaching staff feels the same way. We are one year away from having a solid senior class. I think we are going to have a real strong red shirt junior class this year."