The Duke football program has released its first official depth chart of the season, with just three days to go until the Blue Devils kick off their 2025 campaign against Elon on August 28th. With some new faces on the team this year, there's definitely lots of change-ups from last season's unit on both sides of the ball. However, from a roster-building perspective, Duke undoubtedly got better as a whole. Although Duke has been criminally overlooked as a true contender, both in the ACC and on a national scale, Diaz has already said he doesn't care about the lack of attention and is ready to get the ball rolling.
Here is #Duke football’s official depth chart ahead of its season opener vs. Elon on Thursday: pic.twitter.com/yAN7H9Yt2l
— Anna Snyder (@annaesnydr) August 25, 2025
Upon the release of the team's official depth chart, a few things stood out right away. Let's break down the potential surprises that Duke fans need to know about before the team kicks its season off.
Andrel Anthony not listed as a starter
Newcomer Cooper Barkate and sophomore Que'Sean Brown were both listed as starting wide receivers, which was expected. However, Oklahoma transfer Andrel Anthony was listed as a backup, which may come as a bit of a head-scratcher to fans. Anthony has struggled with injuries over the last two years, which could factor into the decision to list him as a WR2, but it was anticipated that he would be an integral part of the offense, as he's had success at the college level when healthy. Senior Sahmir Hagans was listed as a starter over Anthony. Hagans has been in Durham for the last four seasons, totaling 109 receptions for 1,078 yards and eight touchdowns in that span. Both as graduate students, it's still unclear who will be the mainstay at that spot in the lineup, but Hagans is officially listed as the starter.
Bryce Davis finds himself at the bottom of the depth chart
Bryce Davis, a four-star freshman, is the highest-rated recruit in Duke football history according to 247Sports. However, the defensive edge was listed as the third-stringer at the position, behind junior Wesley Williams and sophomore Tyshon Reed, respectively. Appearing in every game in 2024, Williams tallied 48 tackles, two pass deflections, and a forced fumble as one of the pillars of Duke's elite front seven last season. Reed appeared in five games as a rookie in 2024, totaling five tackles. Diaz has come out and said that Davis will be one of the freshmen who will be in the mix for time early, but it looks like he still has work to do after coming into Durham as the most prized recruit the program has ever had.