One doesn’t have to look far to see that defense is a huge question mark for Wake Forest entering its opener against Baylor.

The Deacons are solid up front with senior defensive lineman John Russell and Boo Robinson. Behind them, the view isn’t as concrete.

Gone are all three of last year’s starting linebackers, chief among them first-round NFL draft choice Aaron Curry plus draft pick Stanley Arnoux. In their place are guys by the names of Jonathon Jones, Matt Woodlief and Hunter Haynes.

Behind them in the secondary, senior cornerback Brandon Ghee is the only returning starter from a unit that was led last year by now-Denver Bronco Alphonso Smith.

Ghee hopes the defense will respond as it did when question marks abounded before Wake’s run to the Orange Bowl in 2006.

“It is the same as the Orange Bowl year,” Ghee said. “There were some questions and people like Aaron Curry and Stanley Arnoux and Chip Vaughn stepped up. You never know who is going to step up. But I think a lot of people are going to be surprised about our defense.”

The questions about the defense would seem to indicate that the offense will have to carry more of the load this season. Senior quarterback Riley Skinner said that the offense is motivated more by improving than by taking pressure off the defense.

“We’re motivated because we didn’t perform the way we wanted last year,” Skinner said. “We’re taking it upon ourselves to change that. If that helps the defense out that would be great because we don’t want to put them in tough positions. ... But we don’t expect that we are going to have to score 40-50 points to win.”

The questions remain about Skinner’s prediction coming true.