Wake Forest Professional Athletes

Mustapha Back in the Starting Role — and the Trade Conversation

Malik Mustapha's 2026 season started on the bench. It won't end there.

The Wake Forest safety is back in San Francisco's starting lineup after Marques Sigle went down with a high ankle sprain, and the timing couldn't be more loaded. The 49ers are 4-0, riding into Seattle for a divisional rematch against the Seahawks — the same team that ended their 2025 season at Lumen Field in January. Head coach Kyle Shanahan didn't mince words about his confidence in the third-year safety: Shanahan said he was "real excited" to see Mustapha get the start, a public endorsement that carries real weight in a locker room built around accountability.

Mustapha has 22 career starts to his name. The new defensive coordinator shelved him to open the year, but with Sigle out and the stakes climbing, Mustapha is being handed a showcase moment. He said this week that everyone in the building already knows what Sunday means — no need to say "Seahawks" out loud. That kind of quiet intensity has coaches and analysts paying attention.

It's also caught the attention of rival front offices. The Detroit Lions, scrambling for secondary help, have been flagged as a potential trade suitor for Mustapha ahead of the deadline. That he's generating trade buzz while simultaneously reclaiming a starting job on a 4-0 team speaks to both his upside and the complicated roster calculus in San Francisco. For now, though, the 49ers appear content to see what Mustapha can do with the opportunity squarely in front of him.

Around the League

Elsewhere in the NFL, Wake Forest rookie Demond Claiborne is off to a rough start in Minnesota. The Vikings running back managed just 12 rushing yards in a 15-10 win over Miami on Sunday, and Sports Illustrated has already tagged him as the most disappointing pick from Minnesota's 2026 draft class. The preseason hype was real; the early returns have not matched it.

In New England, rookie cornerback Karon Prunty was absent from the Patriots' Thursday practice session alongside the team's $189 million CB tandem of Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis III ahead of their Week 5 matchup with the Raiders — a secondary situation worth monitoring as the season continues.

On the win column side, Kobie Turner and Alex Bachman were part of a Rams squad that edged the Eagles 24-20 on Sunday, while Greg Dortch saw his Bills fall to New England 29-26 in what looks like one of the week's best finishes. Jessie Bates III and the Falcons routed the Saints 45-24 on Monday night, a result that keeps Atlanta relevant early in the NFC South race.

The headliner, though, remains Mustapha. A Wake Forest safety, on an undefeated team, in a revenge game on the road — the alumni newsletter writes itself.

Wake Forest in the NFL: Week of Sept. 20–26

The week's Wake Forest NFL news was bookended by heartbreak and a highlight reel moment — and both came from tight ends and trenches.

Bako-Bewele's Season Is Over

The worst fears were confirmed. Packers right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele, arguably Green Bay's best offensive lineman, has been placed on season-ending injured reserve after tearing his patellar tendon in his right knee. The injury occurred on the opening drive of Green Bay's Week 2 game at the Jets, where he was carted off the field alongside wide receiver Jayden Reed — two starters lost within the game's first three plays.

The timing could hardly be worse for a Packers team already dealing with a rocky start to the 2026 season. Bako-Bewele's loss leaves a gaping hole on the right side of the line, and the ripple effects are already being felt: Anthony Belton, who was next in line to replace him, promptly appeared on the injury report himself. Green Bay was also without Aaron Banks in Week 3 against Atlanta — a Thursday night game the Falcons won decisively, 35–14.

Reports emerged during the week urging the Packers to pursue a trade for an experienced replacement tackle. With the offensive line thinning by the day, the pressure to find a solution has become urgent. The Wake Forest product's absence won't just affect pass protection — it threatens to destabilize an entire offense still trying to find its footing.

Whiteheart Comes Up Clutch in Cleveland

On the brighter side of the ledger, fellow Demon Deacon Blake Whiteheart delivered one of the week's more memorable moments for Wake Forest fans. The Browns tight end hauled in the go-ahead touchdown reception from Deshaun Watson in Cleveland's 23–19 victory over the Buccaneers — a 17-yard catch that proved to be the decisive score. It was Whiteheart's lone reception of the game, but it was the one that mattered most.

Watson finished with 238 yards and two touchdowns in the win, and Whiteheart's contributions were central to the outcome. For a Browns team looking to build something in 2026, the tight end's reliability in a high-leverage moment is exactly the kind of performance that earns expanded roles going forward.

Around the Rest of the Deacon Diaspora

Elsewhere, the week produced modest activity from other Wake Forest alumni. Vikings rookie running back Demond Claiborne logged one reception for two yards in Minnesota's low-scoring 9–3 win over Chicago in Week 2 — quiet numbers, but debate is building around whether the rookie deserves a larger offensive role. Bills receiver Greg Dortch was signed from the practice squad to the active roster, signaling Buffalo may have plans to deploy him in the coming weeks. And in Atlanta, safety Jessie Bates III found himself in the news for a different reason: the Falcons' ugly start has reportedly put the $64 million defensive back into trade speculation, with the 49ers and Lions floated as potential suitors.

It was a week that captured the full spectrum of NFL life for Demon Deacons — from a season-altering injury to a game-winning catch to players quietly pressing for opportunity.

Wake Forest's NFL footprint stretches from Minnesota to Green Bay this week, but it's a pair of young Demon Deacons — one already in hot water, one on the verge of his debut — who are driving the headline.

Claiborne's Roster Grip Loosening in Minnesota

The honeymoon is over fast for Demond Claiborne. The Vikings rookie RB arrived with legitimate preseason buzz, but heading into Week 2 against the Bears, Minnesota's patience is already being tested. According to Sports Illustrated, Claiborne is facing an uphill battle to get back into the team's good graces — a striking development this early in a first-year career. Heavy Sports confirmed the Vikings made their final determination on Claiborne's status for the Bears game, with the situation hinging partly on the addition of veteran Jordan Mason to the backfield mix.

For a rookie trying to carve out a role behind an established depth chart, getting leapfrogged by a veteran acquisition is a red flag. Claiborne's path to meaningful snaps just got steeper.

Bako-Bewele Eyeing His NFL Moment in New York

Across the NFC, fellow Demon Deacon Zach Bako-Bewele is chasing a milestone of a different kind. The Packers offensive tackle is on track for his NFL debut as Green Bay heads to MetLife Stadium to face the Jets in Week 2, per Sports Illustrated's final injury report breakdown. The report specifically flagged Bako-Bewele as a player to watch, suggesting he's in the mix to see live action against New York's defensive front. After the Packers fell to the Vikings 22-39 in Week 1 — a game in which Bako-Bewele was on the roster — stepping onto the field in Week 2 would mark a meaningful step forward for the Wake Forest product.

Dortch Gets a Special Teams Lifeline in Buffalo

Greg Dortch is making the most of a second chance in Buffalo. The Bills are expected to bench veteran Dee Alford from punt return duties and insert Dortch — a move that could give the Wake Forest wideout a defined role on special teams heading into the meat of the season. Dortch appeared in both Buffalo games this week, including the Bills' 36-31 win over Houston on Sunday and their 41-31 victory over Detroit on Thursday, suggesting he's already embedded in the game-day rotation. Earning the punt returner job would cement his roster value well beyond depth chart considerations.

Around the League

Blake Whiteheart contributed a 14-yard reception in Cleveland's 10-34 loss to Jacksonville in Week 1 — a quiet box-score line, but the Browns tight end showed up in a tough outing. Branson Combs registered a tackle for the Jaguars in that same game, Jacksonville's dominant 34-10 road win. Jessie Bates III and the Falcons dropped a 13-20 decision to Pittsburgh in Week 1, with Atlanta's secondary still searching for answers in a young season.

The broader Wake Forest alumni corps spans nearly every NFC and AFC roster, but the stories that matter most right now belong to Claiborne and Bako-Bewele — one trying to keep his grip, one trying to get it.