Darian Mensah gives preview of what Duke fans can expect next season from program's newest receiver

Duke football quarterback Darian Mensah wasn't the only skill position player to transfer to Durham this past offseason, as several of his new receivers with the Blue Devils came from other programs. One of the talented wide receivers who moved to Duke this offseason is Cooper Barkate, and Mensah has already shown what Duke fans can expect from the duo in 2025.

Barkate is a rising senior who transferred to Duke after spending three seasons at Harvard. The 6'1, 190-pound wideout was the No. 61 wide receiver in the transfer portal per the On3 Transfer Portal Rankings.

A three-star recruit coming out of high school, Barkate broke onto the scene in 2024 and became one of the top offensive threats in the Ivy League. After tallying 50 receptions for 658 yards and three touchdowns through his first two seasons with the Crimson, Barkate exploded for 1,084 receiving yards to go along with 11 touchdowns on 63 catches as a junior.

The Newport Beach, CA native led Harvard in all three of those categories, was one of three finalists for the Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year Award, and was an Associated Press FCS All-American Honorable Mention. Barkate was also named to the All-Ivy League First Team in 2024.

The rising senior is one of the new, exciting targets with whom Mensah will be building connections throughout the season. Besides Barkate, Manny Diaz brought in another talented receiver via the portal in Andrel Anthony. The former Michigan Wolverine and Oklahoma Sooner has hardly played across the last two seasons due to injury, but is extremely productive when available.

Aside from the transfers, rising sophomore Que'Sean Brown is also due for a breakout second season in Durham. The North Carolina native was Duke's third-leading receiver in 2024, and the Blue Devils lost their top two wideouts from that season. Brown is poised to be one of the biggest pieces of offensive coordinator Jonathan Brewer's game plan with his speed and deep catch ability. Brewer runs a quick, air-raid system that likes to move the ball downfield quickly, and Brown will be a constant threat deep.

Barkate looks comfortable in his new uniform, and Duke fans can expect a lot more plays like that between Duke's new transfer stars.