Wake Forest vs. Georgia Tech 2025 Preview: Key Players and Predictions

A Week 5 matchup sees the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets travel to Winston-Salem to take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Will a ranked Yellow Jackets team roll against the Demon Deacons, or can the home team pull off the upset? Let’s break it down everything in this Wake Forest vs. Georgia Tech 2025 game preview.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: Series History

Georgia Tech has been a dominant force in this ACC matchup, with an overall record of 24-8 against Wake Forest. The most recent meeting between these two teams came in 2023, with Tech winning 30-16. Wake has lost four in a row in this series and are 2-8 in the last 10 meetings.

Tech will try to continue the success against Wake on Saturday, while the Demon Deacons will look to turn the tide.

Wake Forest vs. Georgia Tech 2025 Preview: Keys, Players, and Predictions

Georgia Tech Key Players

The heart and soul of Georgia Tech is Haynes King. King, at times, is the entire offense for the Yellow Jackets, and how well King performs usually correlates with whether Georgia Tech wins. So far this year, King has passed for 515 yards and 2 touchdowns. His ability to run the football is his difference maker.

At times, Tech runs QB-ISO and QB-Power repeatedly and forces other teams to stop it. King has racked up 274 rushing yards with five touchdowns, and will most certainly see plenty of carries on Saturday.

The two other difference makers on the Yellow Jackets’ offense are Jamal Haynes and Isiah Canion. When King isn’t running the ball, Haynes gets the workload as the Jackets’ lead back. Haynes has 400 all-purpose yards this season, with 290 of those coming on the ground. He’s totaled three touchdowns so far on 5.9 YPC.

The best weapon for Tech on the outside is the aforementioned Canion. Canion has 11 catches for 167 yards, two touchdowns, with zero drops this year. He’s a chain-mover on third down and will be crucial for the Yellow Jakes going forward, as Wake Forest and the rest of the ACC will load up on the run.

Georgia Tech boasts one of the most talented and experienced secondaries in the ACC. Ahmari Harvey and Rodney Shelley are shutdown corners, while Omar Daniels and Clayton Powell-Lee are sideline-to-sideline safeties.

The Yellow Jackets can struggle to stop the run and create pressure with their front seven at times. With a dominant secondary and their inability to stop the run, linebackers Kyle Efford and E.J. Lightsey will need to have big games. Efford’s and Lightsey’s ability to tackle and wrap up ball carriers on Saturday will be crucial for Georgia Tech’s success.

Wake Forest Key Players

Dual-threat quarterback Robby Ashford runs the offense for Wake Forest. Ashford has struggled passing so far this season, with three interceptions to only one touchdown. Ashford’s legs can be a difference-maker, thought, as he has totaled 129 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Ashford’s ability to use his legs against Tech’s weaker front seven and prowess to take care of the ball against a talented Tech secondary are critical.

Yet, Wake’s best player on either side of the ball is running back Demond Claiborne. Through three games this year, Claiborne is averaging a staggering 9.9 YPC, totaling 247 yards. Claiborne could have a big game on Saturday against a Tech team that struggles to stop the run.

With Wake’s struggles on offense this year and especially in the pass game, the one beacon of light on the outside has been Chris Barnes. Even though Barnes has yet to secure a touchdown this year, he does have nine catches for 248 yards through three games.

Similar to Georgia Tech, the secondary is the strength of the the Demon Deacons’ defense. Defensive back Nick Anderson, a preseason all-ACC player, leads the team in tackles with 23 and also has two pass breakups. Anderson and the team’s second leading tackler, Dylan Hazen, need to have big games. The duo of King and Haynes on Tech’s offense will test the manhood of Wake’s front seven, and the two leading tacklers of Wake Forest need to show up and show out.

How Georgia Tech Wins

An early game on the road as a two-touchdown favorite could be a recipe for disaster for Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets need to control the line of scrimmage and get out to an early lead, forcing Wake to pass the ball down the field. With Wake’s inability to move the ball down the field, if Tech jumps out early, it could spell trouble for the Demon Deacons.

However, the more confidence Wake Forest gains as the game goes on, especially if it’s close later in the game, could mean an upset for the Yellow Jackets.

Yet, if the duo of King and Haynes dominate like they have been so far this year, Tech will come out on top.

How Wake Forest Wins

Tech struggles to stop the run at times and struggled last week against mobile quarterback Evan Simon from Temple. That bodes well for Wake as they have a dual-threat quarterback in Ashford and a star running back in Claiborne.

Wake Forest needs to keep the game close so Ashford doesn’t have to turn into Josh Allen against a good secondary. And, so they can continue what they do best, which is run the ball.

Stopping Tech’s rushing attack and making King beat you down the field will mean good things for Wake. If they can establish the line of scrimmage and get great play from Ashford in the passing game, Wake can pull off an upset.

Final Thoughts

It’s an interesting matchup of ACC play. Georgia Tech is a run-first team, as is Wake Forest. Both front seven units on defense are the weakness, with the respective secondaries clearly better.

Wake is coming off a bye week after losing to NC State 34-24 in Week 3. Meanwhile, Georgia Tech struggled at times last week against an undermanned Temple team. Tech opened as 7.5-point favorites, and the line has moved all the way to 14, in favor of the Yellow Jackets.

Yet, if Wake can pull off the upset, it will change the course of the rest of ACC play for the rest of the year.