The Duke football program missed out on what would've been a marquee victory to add to the resume early on in the 2025 season, falling to No. 11 Illinois 45-19 at home. It was a frustrating and disappointing game for the Blue Devils, but transfer wide receiver Andrel Anthony just put the entire nation on notice with his performance. After a fantastic game highlighted by an early "Catch of the Year" candidate, Anthony just established himself as a sleeper stud wide receiver on a national scale.
Andrel Anthony lights up box score for Duke against Illinois
Anthony transferred to Durham after spending two seasons at both Michigan and Oklahoma. He struggled with injuries for practically his entire tenure with the Sooners, leaving him unrecognized by the national media. He came into Duke as a sleeper candidate to be one of the top breakout receivers in the ACC, and his performance against the Fighting Illini only helped his case.
The former Wolverine and Sooner led the Blue Devils with five catches to go along with 58 yards and two touchdowns. One of those TD receptions came in the final seconds of the first half, and is now an early "Catch of the Year" candidate after an unbelievable toe-tap from Anthony.
Through just his first two games as a Duke Blue Devil, Anthony has already tallied eight receptions for 109 yards and three receiving touchdowns, leaving him third on the team in receiving yards while leading in TD catches.
It was an all-around disappointing performance for the Blue Devils after missing out on a major opportunity, but Anthony's elite showing gives major hints that he could turn into a force to be reckoned with in the conference.
After Anthony transferred to Oklahoma from Michigan in 2023, he had a great start to his career with the Sooners, tallying 27 catches for 429 yards and a touchdown score in his first five games. Then, a torn ACL caused him to miss the remainder of the 2023 season. The 6'1 receiver then went on to miss practically all of the 2024 season after the injury didn't heal enough.
Anthony is turning into Darian Mensah's potential go-to target, and this performance against the Illini has now put him on the national radar.