Dave Clawson on Mitch Griffis: No doubt he can be a high-level ACC quarterback

When last year’s star starting quarterback for Wake Forest, Sam Hartman, elected to jump into the NCAA transfer portal, for some, it felt like a shot in the gut. But someone who didn’t flinch was Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson.

Recently, Clawson was a guest on the Andy Staples On3 Podcast, where the two discussed the program and its upcoming 2023 season. During the conversation, Staples inquired about the Demon Deacons headman’s thoughts and feelings following Hartman’s decision to transfer. According to Clawson, he was fine with his former quarterback’s decision and revealed that his level of comfort was largely thanks to this year’s starting quarterback Mitch Griffis.

“Sam gave us five years. And Sam was very upfront and honest that, ‘Coach, I wanna go to the NFL. But if these crazy numbers that people are throwing out there are real, I’m crazy to not at least test that market.’ So that happened with him, and we had confidence in Mitch,” said Clawson.

“What’s happened here is we had John Wolford, right? And as soon as we lost John after we beat Texas A&M in the Belt Bowl in ‘17, people think you’re gonna fall off a cliff. And then you have Sam Hartman and Jamie Newman. Then, when Jamie left, we were picked really low, and then Sam Hartman.”

Griffis is entering his junior year at Wake Forest. During his previous three seasons with the Demon Deacons, he saw minimal action except in 2022. Last season for Wake Forest, Griffis played in four games, completing 29 of his 41 pass attempts for 348 yards with five touchdowns and one interception.

Clawson says Griffis can be a ‘high-level’ QB in the conference

The Ashburn, VA, native hasn’t gotten the opportunity to show much in game-time action, but he has blown Clawson and the rest of the Demon Deacons coaching staff away and practice. So much so that Clawson took a strong stance on his starting quarterback.

“We have that same confidence in Mitch. Mitch has been here; he’s now in his fourth year. When Sam left, which we knew he was, we didn’t even look at the transfer market; we didn’t even consider bringing a transfer in. We’ve seen what Mitch can do on the practice field for three years. And there’s always an adjustment when you’re the starter, and it doesn’t mean that it’s gonna be smooth sailing from day one. But there is no doubt that he can be a high-level ACC quarterback just the way that Sam was, just the way that Jamie was, and just the way that John Wolford was.”

Since Clawson took over the program in 2013, the Demon Deacons have been competitive in the ACC. Regardless of what outside individuals have thought about his starting quarterbacks, they have all played exceptionally well for Clawson when their number was called. And this season, the Wake Forest head coach doesn’t expect anything less out of Griffis now that it’s his time to lead the team on the field.