WINSTON-SALEM – Linebacker Ryan Smenda Jr. welcomed a fresh start with the arrival of Wake Forest’s three new defensive coaches. Safety AJ Williams needed a fresh start, and defensive tackle Kobie Turner was bound for a fresh start regardless after transferring from Richmond.

So after an inconsistent 2021 season, Wake Forest’s defensive players are happy to hit the reset button.

“Brand-new slate, clean slate, whatever happened in the past is in the past,” Smenda said after Tuesday morning’s practice. “Everyone’s excited because (defensive coordinator Brad Lambert) is an upbeat guy and everyone really respects him.

“The guys are really bought in and we’re ready to rock and roll.”

Lambert was hired after the season, which saw Wake Forest match a program record with 11 wins but was, at times, defined by inconsistent defense. Lambert’s arrival meant the subsequent hires of Glenn Spencer as linebackers coach and former Wake Forest player James Adams as safeties coach.

The defensive coaching staff wasn’t completely overhauled; Dave Cohen remains as assistant head coach for defense/defensive line coach, and Paul Williams is entering his third season as cornerbacks coach.

Turner looks like he’ll be a force in the middle of Wake’s defensive line, a 6-3, 290-pounder who was the Colonial Athletic Association co-defensive player of the year for the 2021 spring season.

He’s been learning this spring of Cohen’s coaching style, which can seem harsh at times but is also done in players’ best interests.

“When (Cohen) brought me in, he said he was going to focus on developing me and making sure that I’m getting better,” Turner said. “And that includes getting on me when I need to pick things up.

“He’s done a really good job of continuing to push me, and also letting me know when I’m doing well. He’s a great coach and I appreciate what he’s done for me so far.”

Williams’ emergence as a viable contributor at safety is one of the most-positive individual developments. At a position where the Deacons are thin, Williams is seizing an opportunity.

It’s one that’s been in front of him before.

Williams went from playing 262 snaps in 2020 (nine games) to 124 snaps last season, despite Wake Forest playing five more games.

The belief that Adams has shown in him has allowed Williams to elevate his performance. That stemmed from a one-on-one dinner between Adams and Williams, in which the safety said the former Deacon got him to learn something about himself.

“I learned about myself that I can bring it every day,” Williams said. “In the past, I didn’t. But like, now I feel like I can bring it every day just from his (inspiration).

“He tells me every day, ‘I see it in you, I see it in all of you.’”

Now the question becomes whether the results of the reset for Wake’s defense are seen on the field next season.

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Here are notes from Tuesday morning’s practice:

- It’s the last week of spring practices and Tuesday was the 13th practice of the spring, so there’s been some wear and tear for key guys – despite the limited reps. I counted four red jerseys (non-contact) and one first-team player sitting out.

I can’t go into specifics, but to update what is known: Evan Slocum suffered a fracture/break in his leg/foot earlier this spring, Chase Monroe, K.J. Trujillo, Zion Keith and Tyriq Hardimon entered the transfer portal, and Donavon Greene is among those not cleared to practice.

- If you’re walking around campus in the morning and hear AC/DC blaring, it means it’s time for “inside run.” That is … well, it’s exactly how it sounds: No receivers or pass plays called, just runs up the gut, OL vs. DL/LBs.

- At the same time as inside run is WR/DB 1-on-1s, which is much easier to track who’s doing well and who’s not.

In this segment, Gavin Holmes made a nice play on a Sam Hartman pass intended for Jackson Hensley.

And Mitch Griffis hit Christian Greene – keep bringing him up – in stride down the seam to beat Caelen Carson.

- Moving into 7-on-7, the first throw was a great interception by Isaiah Wingfield.

Hartman had Taylor Morin on a deep cross but underthrew him just a little bit, and Wingfield jumped, tipped the ball to himself and cradled it in before going out of bounds.

- As a man of simple pleasures, I enjoy matchups of players wearing the same jersey number.

So JJ Roberts getting a PBU against Greene (both 25) was interesting enough to take note.

- Hartman threw a strike to A.T. Perry on a slant and he had all kinds of room to run.

Before the play was over, Lambert was yelling at Chelen Garnes, who was in coverage but not matched up on Perry. I believe I caught the phrase, “you don’t have to drop that far,” in Lambert’s coaching moment.

- Michael Kern got flushed from the pocket and fired to Dez Williams, who made a nice catch along the sideline while reaching back across his body.

- I had Holmes with three PBUs total, and here was the second one on a quick slant.

(this is your reminder that Holmes and Carson are, I think, future NFL corners)

- The first 11-on-11 segment started with second-team offense against second-team defense …

And there was not much success offensively.

- The first-teams came out and one of the first plays was Hartman scrambling right and finding a wide-open Morin, who’d sat down in the middle of the defense.

- Here was another Holmes PBU, batting a ball away from Greene.

- Hartman put a deep ball to Hensley on the money for a long catch down the seam against Carson.

- They went back to 7-on-7 … momentarily. And then something happened that made them go to working with the full field.

The something that happened shouldn’t have a lasting impact. And I guess that’s all I can say on the matter. Maybe that’s even too much. Oops.

- In the full-field portion, Roberts had another PBU.

- Then came the situational work, which is typical of late-spring practices but always catches me off guard anyway (maybe because the last spring practices we covered were five of them in 2020 before the world shut down).

This was end-of-half scenario, and first-team offense and defense started.

- Perry drew a pass interference call against Carson – not the greatest of days for the third-year corner.

- And then this drive stalled when Hartman’s 15-20-yard throw to Morin was negated by an illegal formation.

- The next possession, with the second-team, stalled after Dez Williams was whistled for offensive pass interference, pushing off for a sideline catch against DaShawn Jones.

- They squeezed in a non-situational segment here, full-team work, and it was primarily third-team offense and defense.

Billy Edwards Jr. made a lot of short, quick throws.

- And then it was more situational stuff, this time late-game setups in which *I think* the offense needed a touchdown.

(truth be told, the offense never got far enough to know if a field goal would have sufficed)

The first series got to fourth-and-long – it was not a good day for the offense in terms of penalties – and Hartman tried to force a throw to Morin, and it was picked off by Garnes.

That was negated by an offside penalty against the defense; Hartman’s fourth-down redo was an incompletion.

- Mitch Griffis took back-to-back sacks – taking one is a cardinal sin in Wake’s two-minute offense – and that wrecked his drive.

Though, I’ve got to say, they were pretty quick whistles on calling Griffis down.

- And the last note was a PBU by Jones on a deep ball – it might have been uncatchable and out of bounds, but it was a nice athletic play by Jones to get over on this ball.