While he still had a year of eligibility remaining, Kendall Hinton was a part of Wake Forest’s Senior Day activities last November, with his status with the football program up in the air ever since. Two months later, that status was clarified.
Wake announced in a press release Thursday that Hinton will return to Wake and play his senior season for the Demon Deacons in 2019. The football program also clarified that Hinton, a one-time quarterback, will be used exclusively as a wide receiver this coming season.
“We are excited to have Kendall returning for his senior year,” a statement from head coach Dave Clawson began. “Kendall is a very valuable member of our program and he showed a lot of promise at wide receiver during the 2018 season and in the Birmingham Bowl. We expect Kendall to be an integral part of our offense at wide receiver in the fall.”
Hinton was the primary backup to starting quarterback John Wolford from 2015-17 -- he started a Week 3 win over FCS Delaware but suffered a season-ending injury in that game, and started another game the following season -- and was the presumptive front-runner to claim the job in 2018 after Wolford left but was suspended for the first three games for unspecified violations of team rules. When his suspension ended, Hinton played some quarterback, although his shift to receiver began in earnest after he climbed out of Clawson’s doghouse.
Three of Hinton’s six receptions last season and 38 of his 61 receiving yards came in Wake’s wild Birmingham Bowl win over Memphis.
Wake is looking to replace Greg Dortch, who left the Demon Deacons for the NFL with two years of eligibility still on the table. Dortch led the team in receiving each of the past two seasons.