Freshman Merrill "Bud" Noel has made an instant impact in the Deacon secondary
Will redshirt the 2011 campaign as a member of the scout team in practice ... Academically ineligible to compete in games this season.
2010 (True Freshman):
One of three true freshmen to play for Wake Forest in 2010 ... Appeared in 11 games with five starts ... Tallied 31 tackles on the season, including 20 solo stops ... Recorded two pass breakups ... Made collegiate debut vs. Presbyterian (Sept. 2), recording four tackles ... Made two solo tackles at Stanford (Sept. 18) ... Tied for the team lead with nine tackles and also had two pass breakups at Virginia Tech (Oct. 16) ... Made first start of collegiate career at Maryland (Oct. 30), making three tackles ... Had five stops vs. Boston College (Nov. 6) ... Recorded four tackles, with three solo stops, at NC State (Nov. 13) ... Started and made three solo stops at Vanderbilt (Nov. 27) and recorded his first career tackle for loss.
High School:
A 2010 graduate of River Hill HS in Clarksville, Md. ... Prep teammate of Deacon TB Michael Campanro and, in fact, succeeded Campanaro as River Hill's feature back ... Rushed for 1,220 yards and 15 touchdowns on 137 carries as a senior, averaging nearly nine yards per carry ... Led the county in rushing ... Had 12 receptions for 251 yards and three scores ... Made 25 tackles to go with three interceptions while being named to the all-county team ... Named first team all-state and first team All-Met at cornerback ... Named the Columbia Flier/Howard County Times Offensive Player of the Year as a senior ... Two-year starter on both sides of the ball for Coach Brian Van Deusen ... Helped the Hawks to 2A state championships in 2007 and 2008 ... Team moved to Class 3A in 2009 and lost in the state semifinal ... The loss in the state semifinals snapped a 40-game winning streak ... Had three receptions for 85 yards and three touchdowns as a junior ... Recorded 50 tackles, three interceptions and scored six touchdowns in 2008 ... A preseason All-Met selection by the Washington Post as a kick returner ... Was part of a River Hill defense that recorded 11 shutouts in 2007, five in 2008 and five more in 2009 ... The 2008 River Hill team finished 23rd in the nation in the final USA Today high school poll ... The Hawks were 47-3 during his four varsity seasons ... Played in the Crab Bowl that pits the top high school players in an all-star game between Maryland's and Washington D.C.'s top players ... Timed at 4.49 in the 40 ... Also recruited by Wisconsin and West Virginia ... Recruited by Brad Lambert.
Personal:
Son of Kevin and Judy Johnson ... Both parents graduated from Howard University ... Born Aug. 5, 1992.
