Like Syracuse, Wake Forest had a good defense that went to waste in 2014. The Demon Deacons ranked 38th in total defense and were solid against both the run and pass, ranking 48th in Football Outsiders' rush defense S&P and 44th in pass defense S&P.
Wake's secondary was one of the ACC's best, but the Demon Deacons lost both of their starting cornerbacks -- Kevin Johnson and Merrill Noel -- to the NFL. So to keep pace with the defensive standards set in 2014, Wake's linebackers and defensive linemen will likely need to shoulder more of the burden in 2015.