Wake Forest Suspends Starting QB Kendall Hinton, TE Thomas Cole for 3 Games

When the Wake Forest Demon Deacons open the 2018 college football season, they will do so without a couple of their players, including their starting quarterback.

Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson announced on Thursday that quarterback Kendall Hinton and tight end Thomas Cole have been suspended for three games after violating team rules.

Clawson did not specify the violation, but he did issue a statement on the matter, via Conor O'Neill of the Winston-Salem Journal: "Kendall and Thomas made poor decisions and they take responsibility for their actions. There are consequences to those decisions and we hope that they will each learn from this and continue to grow and mature."     

Hinton, a redshirt junior, has four career starts, although he has appeared in 17 games over the past three seasons. Last year the 6'0", 195-pound signal caller completed 57.4 percent of his passes for 399 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions. The North Carolina native added 190 yards and a score on the ground.

Cole is entering his redshirt sophomore season. The 6'5", 250-pound tight end was a 2-star recruit coming out of high school in West Virginia, according to 247Sports.

Hinton was expected to replace four-year starter John Wolford. With Hinton out for three games, redshirt sophomore Jamie Newman (2-of-4, eight yards, zero touchdowns and one interception in his career) and freshman Sam Hartman—a 3-star recruit, per 247Sports—are in the mix to open the season under center for the Deacons.

Wake opens the season with a game at Tulane followed by a pair of home games against Towson and Boston College.