Grant Dawson, a redshirt sophomore from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, joined the Demon Deacons as a walk-on from Reagan High School after an all-conference high school career which included Dawson being named the Forsyth County Defensive Player of the year in 2011. Following a decision to attend Wake Forest as a walk-on in lieu of several other scholarship offers from FCS schools, Dawson was provided a scholarship by head coach Dave Clawson and the rest of the staff following the tumultuous 2014 season.
Dawson, undoubtedly hoping to follow in fellow walk-on to scholarship starter Hunter Williams' shoes, recorded a tackle in ten of the team's twelve games in 2014 and ultimately concluded the season with 15 tackles and a .5 tackle for loss. It is difficult to anticipate what Dawson's role looks to be in the upcoming year, but he will likely appear in some situational sets on defense and will be a rotational sub for a linebacking corps which looks to be one of the best in the conference in 2015. At the least Dawson will be expected to continue to provide support on special teams where he recorded the bulk of his tackles last season.
Perhaps the most promising aspect for Dawson was his performance in the 2015 spring game when he finished second on the Black team with 7 tackles behind only fellow linebacker Brandon Chubb who recorded 12. Listed at 6'1", 225 lbs, Dawson was described as a hard worker, a guy who loves football, and a grinder by Coach Clawson following the announcement that Dawson would receive a scholarship for the 2015 season.
Grant Dawson embodies the type of student-athlete schools should pride themselves in putting out on the football field and Dawson will provide Demon Deacon fans with an exciting face to watch over the next three years as he looks to establish himself as a force to be reckoned with on the defensive side of the football.