Wake Forest Football: Key players to watch against Tulane

BOONE, NC - SEPTEMBER 23: Wide receiver Greg Dortch #89 of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons gets pressure from wide receiver Zy Letman #82 of the Appalachian State Mountaineers during the punt return in the first quarter of an NCAA football game on September 23, 2017 at Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone, North Carolina. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)
BOONE, NC - SEPTEMBER 23: Wide receiver Greg Dortch #89 of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons gets pressure from wide receiver Zy Letman #82 of the Appalachian State Mountaineers during the punt return in the first quarter of an NCAA football game on September 23, 2017 at Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone, North Carolina. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images) /
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WINSTON SALEM, NC – SEPTEMBER 30: A general view of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons versus Florida State Seminoles at BB&T Field on September 30, 2017 in Winston Salem, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
WINSTON SALEM, NC – SEPTEMBER 30: A general view of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons versus Florida State Seminoles at BB&T Field on September 30, 2017 in Winston Salem, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

DJ Taylor

This will be a tough challenge for the sophomore, who had five total tackles last year but enters this year as the starting middle linebacker. The Green Wave run a triple option offense and it will be important for Taylor to diagnose plays quickly and close on the running lanes.

Fortunately for Taylor, there is some experience around him with players like linebacker Justin Strnard and defensive tackle Willie Yarbary.

Next. Wake Forest Football Game by Game Predictions for 2018. dark

This appears to be a game where the Wake Forest football team will be able to put up points, similarly to what the offense was able to do last year. However, the deciding factor may be if this defense can slow down Tulane’s offense. A strong performance by Taylor will go a long way in containing the ground game.