Duke University Football: A Comprehensive Overview

Duke University's football program has a rich history and continues to evolve. This article provides a detailed look at the team, including its roster, key players, and recent performance.

Duke University Football Roster

The Duke University football roster consists of a diverse group of talented athletes playing various positions. The team includes both seasoned veterans and promising newcomers, creating a blend of experience and potential. Here's a breakdown of some of the active players:

Allen, Cole: An offensive tackle (OT) at 6'5" and 265 lbs, is a freshman from Jackson Prep in Jackson, MS.
Allen, Gemyel: An offensive guard (OG) at 6'3" and 320 lbs, is a redshirt freshman from Mountain View in Buford, GA.
Anderson, David: A defensive tackle (DT) at 6'4" and 290 lbs, is a redshirt sophomore from Kecoughtan in Hampton, VA.
Andrew, Dawson: A linebacker (LB) at 5'11" and 195 lbs, is a redshirt junior from Buford in Flowery Branch, GA.
Anthony, Andrel: A wide receiver (WR) at 6'1" and 195 lbs, is a graduate transfer from Lansing in Lansing, MI.
Anthony Jr., Vincent: A defensive end (DE) at 6'6" and 260 lbs, is a senior from Jordan in Durham, NC.
Appel Jr., Michael: A quarterback (QB) at 6'4" and 215 lbs, is a graduate transfer from Springboro in Springboro, OH.
Bates, Travis: A running back (RB) at 5'11" and 200 lbs, is a redshirt junior from Berkeley Prep in Tampa, FL.
Boggs, Tony: A tight end (TE) at 6'4" and 295 lbs, is a redshirt sophomore from Baylor School in Wartrace, TN.
Boyd, Daniel: An offensive guard (OG) at 6'2" and 305 lbs, is a freshman from Arbor View in Las Vegas, NV.
Brown, Jamin: An offensive guard (OG) at 6'3" and 300 lbs, is a freshman from Southside in Gadsden, AL.
Brown Jr., Derrick: A linebacker (LB) at 6'2" and 225 lbs, is a redshirt freshman from Avon Old Farms in Waxhaw, NC.
Callahan, Landan: A cornerback (CB) at 5'11" and 185 lbs, is a redshirt freshman from Ronald Reagan in Rural Hall, NC.
Carl, Jaylen: A defensive end (DE) at 6'4" and 240 lbs, is a redshirt freshman from Southwest Guilford in High Point, NC.
Castle, Anderson: A running back (RB) at 6'0" and 215 lbs, is a graduate transfer from Watauga in Boone, NC.
Columbus, Julius: A defensive tackle (DT) at 6'1" and 285 lbs, is a freshman from Gainesville in Gainesville, GA.
Cooper, Curtis: A long snapper (LS) at 6'2" and 220 lbs, is a graduate from Randolph in Huntsville, AL.
Craycraft, Matt: A center (C) at 6'3" and 300 lbs, is a redshirt junior from Jesuit in Dallas, TX.
Daly, Ryan: A center (C) at 6'0" and 290 lbs, is a redshirt freshman from Venice in Venice, FL.
Davis, Bryce: A defensive end (DE) at 6'3" and 260 lbs, is a freshman from Grimsley in Greensboro, NC.
Degyansky, Ryan: A placekicker/punter (PK/PT) at 5'11" and 195 lbs, is a redshirt sophomore from Lambert in Suwanee, GA.
Denson, Cole: A running back (RB) at 6'0" and 200 lbs, is a redshirt freshman from Rye Country Day in Rye, NY.
Dorris, Caleb: An offensive tackle (OT) at 6'6" and 305 lbs, is a redshirt sophomore from Ensworth in White House, TN.
Elliott, Brett: A tight end (TE) at 6'3" and 240 lbs, is a redshirt freshman from Buckingham Browne & Nichols in Holliston, MA.
Factor, Memorable: A linebacker (LB) at 5'11" and 220 lbs, is a redshirt junior from Westminster School in London, England.
Felder Jr., Will: A linebacker (LB) at 6'0" and 195 lbs, is a freshman from Roman Catholic in Willingboro, NJ.
Fina, Bruno: An offensive tackle (OT) at 6'5" and 305 lbs, is a graduate transfer from Salpointe Catholic in Tucson, AZ.
Fina, Roman: An offensive tackle (OT) at 6'4" and 270 lbs, is a freshman from Salpointe Catholic in Tucson, AZ.
Francois, Jaiden: A linebacker (LB) at 5'10" and 195 lbs, is a graduate transfer from South Dade in Homestead, FL.
Freeman, Tre: A linebacker (LB) at 6'0" and 230 lbs, is a redshirt senior from Northern Durham, NC.
Gardner, Lawrence: A quarterback (QB) at 6'0" and 200 lbs, is a freshman from St. Mark's School of Texas in Dallas, TX.
Gompers, Bradley: A linebacker (LB) at 6'5" and 225 lbs, is a freshman from Central Catholic in Pittsburgh, PA.
Green, Josiah: A defensive tackle (DT) at 6'1" and 285 lbs, is a graduate transfer from North Central in Indianapolis, IN.
Griffin III, Leon: A safety (S) at 5'11" and 195 lbs, is a redshirt sophomore from Bayside in Virginia Beach, VA.
Hagans, Sahmir: A wide receiver (WR) at 5'10" and 195 lbs, is a redshirt senior from St. Joseph's Prep in Philadelphia, PA.
Hall, Aaron: A defensive tackle (DT) at 6'4" and 290 lbs, is a graduate from Southern Durham, NC.
Harmon, Kolbe: A cornerback (CB) at 5'10" and 180 lbs, is a freshman from Brentwood Academy in Brentwood, TN.
Hasley, Jeremiah: A tight end (TE) at 6'3" and 245 lbs, is a redshirt junior from Pine-Richland in Gibsonia, PA.
Jacobowitz, Kai: An offensive lineman (OL) at 6'7" and 320 lbs, is a freshman from Carlsbad in Carlsbad, CA.
Johnson, Kendall: A linebacker (LB) at 6'3" and 225 lbs, is a redshirt sophomore from Quince Orchard in Gaithersburg, MD.
Johnson, Qeanu: A wide receiver (WR) at 5'11" and 190 lbs, is a freshman from Hamden Hall Country Day in Hamden, CT.
Kara, Bariate: A defensive tackle (DT) at 6'5" and 280 lbs, is a freshman from Loganville Christian Academy in Loganville, GA.
Kettering, Paxon: A wide receiver (WR) at 6'4" and 200 lbs, is a redshirt freshman from Summit in Bend, OR.
King, Landen: A tight end (TE) at 6'5" and 230 lbs, is a senior transfer from Atascocita in Beaumont, TX.
Kutufaris, Nathan: An offensive lineman (OL) at 6'5" and 280 lbs, is a freshman from Cardinal O'Hara in Springfield, PA.
Lanier, Kaleb: A cornerback (CB) at 6'0" and 185 lbs, is a freshman from Decatur in Decatur, GA.
Larsen, Jordan: An offensive guard (OG) at 6'3" and 310 lbs, is a redshirt junior transfer from Harrisburg in Harrisburg, SD.
Little, Jamien: A wide receiver (WR) at 6'2" and 180 lbs, is a freshman from Hickory in Hickory, NC.
Mahan, Dan: A quarterback (QB) at 6'2" and 195 lbs, is a freshman from Walter M. Williams in Burlington, NC.
McCranie, Reagan: An offensive guard (OG) at 6'2" and 320 lbs, is a redshirt sophomore from Chase in Rutherfordton, NC.
Mergott, Luke: A linebacker (LB) at 6'3" and 225 lbs, is a redshirt sophomore from Stephen Decatur in Berlin, MD.
Moore, Jaquez: A running back (RB) at 5'10" and 205 lbs, is a redshirt senior from Suwannee in Live Oak, FL.
Moore, Jayden: A wide receiver (WR) at 5'8" and 190 lbs, is a redshirt freshman from Loyola Blakefield in Sykesville, MD.
Morris Jr., Nick: A linebacker (LB) at 6'3" and 235 lbs, is a redshirt senior from Westlake in Austin, TX.
O'Connor, Kevin: A defensive end (DE) at 6'4" and 245 lbs, is a redshirt sophomore from Easton in Easton, MD.
Onuoha, Sampson: A defensive end (DE) at 6'3" and 230 lbs, is a freshman from Belmont Hill in London, England.
Parker II, Brian: An offensive tackle (OT) at 6'5" and 305 lbs, is a redshirt junior from St. Xavier in Cincinnati, OH.
Pelino, Todd: A placekicker (PK) at 6'3" and 190 lbs, is a senior from Cannon School in Cornelius, NC.
Pellicciotta, Andrew: A safety (S) at 5'11" and 200 lbs, is a freshman from Malvern Prep in Malvern, PA.
Pickett, Justin: An offensive guard (OG) at 6'7" and 320 lbs, is a redshirt senior from Carmel in Carmel, IN.
Reed, Tyshon: A defensive end (DE) at 6'3" and 245 lbs, is a sophomore from Colquitt County in Moultrie, GA.
Reynoldson, Kade: A punter (PT) at 6'2" and 195 lbs, is a sophomore from Somerset College in Mudgeeraba, Australia.
Rivers, Chandler: A cornerback (CB) at 5'10" and 185 lbs, is a senior from Beaumont United in Beaumont, TX.
Robinson, Kimari: A cornerback (CB) at 5'10" and 180 lbs, is a redshirt sophomore from St. Thomas Aquinas in Miramar, FL.
Ronilo, Jack: A long snapper (LS) at 6'1" and 215 lbs, is a redshirt sophomore from Oak Mountain in Birmingham, AL.
Rupley, Tommy: A defensive end (DE) at 6'4" and 240 lbs, is a freshman from Belmont Hill in Acton, MA.
Sahakian, Micah: An offensive guard (OG) at 6'5" and 325 lbs, is a graduate transfer from Prospect in Mount Prospect, IL.
Salas, Cosme: A placekicker (PK) at 5'7" and 185 lbs, is a redshirt freshman from Gulliver Prep in Miami, FL.
Schaper, Elliott: A linebacker (LB) at 6'3" and 210 lbs, is a freshman from Westlake in Austin, TX.
Scott, Evan: An offensive lineman (OL) at 6'4" and 295 lbs, is a freshman from Lakeside in Augusta, GA.
Sheppard, Nate: A running back (RB) at 5'10" and 200 lbs, is a freshman from Mandeville in Mandeville, LA.
Simmons, Kavon: A wide receiver (WR) at 6'1" and 175 lbs, is a freshman from Wake Forest in Wake Forest, NC.
Smith, Bradley: An offensive guard/center (OG/C) at 6'2" and 305 lbs, is a redshirt freshman from Woodward Academy in Newnan, GA.
Smith, Kobe: A defensive end (DE) at 6'3" and 220 lbs, is a redshirt freshman from Red Bank in Chattanooga, TN.
Solomon, Jaivon: A wide receiver (WR) at 6'1" and 170 lbs, is a freshman from Jones County in Gray, GA.
Stone, DaShawn: A safety (S) at 6'3" and 200 lbs, is a redshirt sophomore from A.C.

The 2025 Season: A Year of Triumphs

The 2025 Duke Blue Devils football team marked a significant chapter in the program's history. They finished the season as ACC champions and Sun Bowl champions, showcasing their talent and determination.

Regular Season Performance

The Blue Devils concluded the regular season with a 7â5 record. Despite the overall record, their performance within the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) was remarkable. They secured a 6â2 conference record, placing them in a five-way tie for second place.

Tobacco Road Dominance

One of the highlights of the season was Duke's unblemished record against their Tobacco Road rivals. They won all three games against their North Carolina counterparts, earning them the North Carolina state championship and The Battle for the Old State Trophy for the second consecutive year.

Read also: Decoding Duke University

ACC Championship Victory

The season's success earned Duke a spot in the ACC Championship Game, where they faced the Virginia Cavaliers. In a thrilling overtime contest, the Blue Devils emerged victorious, claiming their first ACC title since 1989 and their first outright ACC title since 1962. This victory also marked Duke's first win in the ACC Championship Game since its inception. The final score was 27-20 in overtime against Virginia.

Sun Bowl Triumph

Adding to their accolades, the Duke Blue Devils secured a victory in the Sun Bowl, defeating No. Arizona State with a score of 42-39.

Key Games and Scoring Plays

Several games throughout the 2025 season showcased the team's resilience and offensive capabilities. Here's a recap of some key matchups and scoring plays:

Game vs. Elon

DUKE: Todd Pelino 41-yard field goal, 1:31. Blue Devils 3â0.
ELON: Luke Barnes 35-yard field goal, 9:50. Tied 3â3.
DUKE: Jaquez Moore 32-yard run (Todd Pelino kick), 8:01. Blue Devils 10â3.
ELON: Landen Clark 2-yard run (Luke Barnes kick), 3:43. Tied 10â10.
DUKE: Sahmir Hagans 15-yard pass from Darian Mensah (Todd Pelino kick), 10:59. Blue Devils 17â10.
DUKE: Andrel Anthony 27-yard pass from Darian Mensah (Todd Pelino kick), 5:46. Blue Devils 24â10.
ELON: Landyn Backey 3-yard run (Luke Barnes kick), 14:12. Blue Devils 24â17.
DUKE: Sahmir Hagans 6-yard pass from Darian Mensah (Todd Pelino kick), 11:28. Blue Devils 31â17.
DUKE: Que'Sean Brown 78-yard punt return (Todd Pelino kick), 9:18.
DUKE: Peyton Jones 5-yard run (Todd Pelino kick), 1:55. Blue Devils 45â17.

Game vs. Illinois

DUKE: Todd Pelino 40-yard field goal, 10:26. Blue Devils 3â0.
ILL: Kaden Feagin 1-yard run (David Olano kick), 1:51. Fighting Illini 7â3.
DUKE: Todd Pelino 40-yard field goal, 11:08. Fighting Illini 7â6.
ILL: Cole Rusk 8-yard pass from Luke Altmyer (David Olano kick), 5:01. Fighting Illini 14â6.
DUKE: Andrel Anthony 5-yard pass from Darian Mensah (Todd Pelino kick), 0:08. Fighting Illini 14â13.
ILL: Justin Bowick 4-yard pass from Luke Altmyer (David Olano kick), 9:34. Fighting Illini 21â13.
ILL: Hank Beatty 25-yard run (David Olano kick), 6:54. Fighting Illini 28â13.
DUKE: Andrel Anthony 6-yard pass from Darian Mensah (pass failed), 4:00. Fighting Illini 28â19.
ILL: David Olano 35-yard field goal, 14:04. Fighting Illini 31â19.
ILL: Collin Dixon 2-yard pass from Luke Altmyer (David Olano kick), 4:14. Fighting Illini 38â19.
ILL: Ca'Lil Valentine 23-yard run (David Olano kick), 3:58. Fighting Illini 45â19.

Game vs. Connecticut

DUKE: Nate Sheppard 13 yd run (Pelino, Todd kick), 12:31. Blue Devils 7â0.
CONN: Vereen, Juice 10 yd pass from Fagnano, Joe (Freeman, Chris kick), 9:03. Tied 7â7.
CONN: Freeman, Chris 29 yd field goal, 6:12. Huskies 10â7.
DUKE: Andrel Anthony 10 yd pass from Mensah, Darian (Pelino, Todd kick), 12:25. Blue Devils 14â10.
CONN: Bell, Skyler 4 yd pass from Fagnano, Joe (Freeman, Chris kick), 5:59. Huskies 17â14.
CONN: Freeman, Chris 45 yd field goal, 0:51. Huskies 20â14.
DUKE: Nate Sheppard 3 yd run (Pelino, Todd kick), 10:13. Blue Devils 21â20.
CONN: Freeman, Chris 20 yd field goal, 6:50. Huskies 23â21.
DUKE: King, Landen 1 yd pass from Mensah, Darian (Pelino, Todd kick), 2:09. Blue Devils 28â23.
CONN: Edwards, Cam 3 yd run (Pass no good), 10:48. Huskies 29â28.
DUKE: Hasley, Jeremiah 10 yd pass from Mensah, Darian (Pass no good), 5:34. Blue Devils 34â29.
CONN: Bell, Skyler 19 yd pass from Fagnano, Joe (Fagnano, Joe rush), 1:58. Huskies 37â34.

Game vs. Virginia

UVA: J'Mari Taylor 5-yard run (Will Bettridge kick), 8:13. Cavaliers 7â0.
DUKE: Todd Pelino 49-yard field goal, 5:33. Cavaliers 7â3.
UVA: Sage Ennis 12-yard pass from Chandler Morris (Will Bettridge kick), 1:39. Cavaliers 14â3.
UVA: Will Bettridge 44-yard field goal, 0:00. Cavaliers 17â3.
UVA: Trell Harris 20-yard pass from Chandler Morris (Will Bettridge kick), 6:49. Cavaliers 24â3.
UVA: J'Mari Taylor 78-yard run (Will Bettridge kick), 2:27. Cavaliers 31â3.
DUKE: Cooper Bartake 11-yard pass from Darian Mensah (Todd Pelino kick), 10:23. Cavaliers 31â10.
DUKE: Tre Freeman 18-yard interception return (Todd Pelino kick), 9:30.
UVA: Will Bettridge 42-yard field goal, 5:42. Cavaliers 34â17.

Game vs. North Carolina

UNC: Gio Lopez 1-yard run (Rece Verhoff kick), 7:57. Tar Heels 7â0.
DUKE: Anderson Castle 1-yard run (Todd Pelino kick), 2:59. Tied 7â7.
DUKE: Jeremiah Hasley 14-yard pass from Darian Mensah (Todd Pelino kick), 10:25. Blue Devils 14â7.
DUKE: Todd Pelino 33-yard field goal, 2:33. Blue Devils 17â7.
UNC: Rece Verhoff 49-yard field goal, 0:07. Blue Devils 17â10.
DUKE: Anderson Castle 1-yard run (Todd Pelino kick), 9:15. Blue Devils 24â10.
UNC: Jordan Shipp 20-yard pass from Gio Lopez (Gio Lopez pass to Jordan Shipp), 4:52. Blue Devils 24â18.
UNC: Davion Gause 12-yard run (Rece Verhoff kick), 13:13. Tar Heels 25â24.
DUKE: Anderson Castle 1-yard run (Darian Mensah pass to Nate Sheppard), 2:18. Blue Devils 32â25.

Game vs. Wake Forest

DUKE: Nate Sheppard 5-yard run (Todd Pelino kick), 10:36. Blue Devils 7â0.
WAKE: Connor Calvert 42-yard field goal, 5:59. Blue Devils 7â3.
DUKE: Darian Mensah 4-yard run (Todd Pelino kick), 0:00. Blue Devils 14â3.
WAKE: Sawyer Racanelli 22-yard pass from Robby Ashford (Connor Calvert kick), 11:56. Blue Devils 14â10.
DUKE: Anderson Castle 1-yard run (Todd Pelino kick), 1:38. Blue Devils 21â10.
WAKE: Karate Benson 20-yard pass from Robby Ashford (Connor Calvert kick), 0:29. Blue Devils 21â17.
DUKE: Sahmir Hagans 30-yard pass from Darian Mensah (Todd Pelino kick), 9:45. Blue Devils 28â17.
DUKE: Anderson Castle 2-yard run (Todd Pelino kick), 3:51. Blue Devils 35â17.
WAKE: Robby Ashford 10-yard run (Robby Ashford run), 0:00. Blue Devils 35â25.
DUKE: Nate Sheppard 13-yard run (Todd Pelino kick), 13:57. Blue Devils 42â25.
WAKE: Ty Clark III 1-yard run (Connor Calvert kick), 11:13. Blue Devils 42â32.
DUKE: Jeremiah Hasley 11-yard pass from Darian Mensah (Todd Pelino kick), 0:23. Blue Devils 49â32.

ACC Championship Game vs. Virginia (cont.)

DUKE: Jeremiah Halsey 12-yard pass from Darian Mensah (Todd Pelino kick), 10:40. Blue Devils 7â0.
UVA: J'Mari Taylor 11-yard pass from Chandler Morris (Will Bettridge kick), 14:16. Tied 7â7.
DUKE: Nate Sheppard 16-yard run (Todd Pelino kick), 6:14. Blue Devils 14â7.
UVA: Will Bettridge 24-yard field goal, 7:19. Blue Devils 14â10.
DUKE: Todd Pelino 29-yard field goal, 3:53. Blue Devils 17â10.
DUKE: Todd Pelino 23-yard field goal, 5:02. Blue Devils 20â10.
UVA: Will Bettridge 42-yard field goal, 3:54. Blue Devils 20â13.
UVA: Eli Wood 18-yard pass from Chandler Morris (Will Bettridge kick), 0:22. Tied 20â20.
DUKE: Jeremiah Hasley 1-yard run (Todd Pelino kick). Blue Devils 27â20.

Key Players

Several players made significant contributions to the team's success:

Darian Mensah: The quarterback played a pivotal role in leading the offense.
Todd Pelino: The placekicker was crucial in scoring points.
Sahmir Hagans: A wide receiver, contributed with receptions and touchdowns.
Nate Sheppard: A running back, played a key role in the running game.
Anderson Castle: A running back, consistently found the end zone.
Jeremiah Hasley: A tight end, reliable target in the passing game.
Tre Freeman: Made a crucial interception in the game against Virginia.
Jaquez Moore: Scored a 32-yard run against Elon.

Coaching and Strategy

Effective coaching and strategic gameplay were essential to Duke's success. The coaching staff focused on developing players' skills and creating game plans that exploited opponents' weaknesses.

Read also: Learn about Duke's Colors

Future Prospects

With a strong foundation and a talented roster, the Duke University football program is poised for continued success. The team's performance in recent seasons has generated excitement among fans and alumni, setting the stage for a promising future.

Read also: Duke University Tuition Costs

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