Duke’s Three Most Important Players vs. Clemson

Saturday's road matchup against the Clemson Tigers is one of the marquee games on the Duke Blue Devils' schedule this season. Not only that, but with the 2025 campaign on the back nine, Duke needs to tally as many wins as possible. One more loss, and the Blue Devils' hopes of reaching the ACC Championship dwindle significantly.

Oct 18, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz looks on during the first half of the game against Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

It will take all three phases to win this game, but which players from Duke's perspective are the most important to the Blue Devils' performance on Saturday?

Without further to do, here are the three most important Duke players against Clemson on Saturday.

Darian Mensah

This should come to no surprise, as the former Tulane quarterback has been a dominant force since arriving to Duke this past offseason.

In a high-profile matchup like this, quarterback play is magnified, as both offenses will have to produce points to stay pace with their opponent.

Mensah has shown the ability to put immense pressure on all three levels of the defense with his elusiveness, accuracy, and aggressiveness in the passing game.

Aug 28, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah (10) throws a touchdown pass against the Elon Phoenix during the second half at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images | James Guillory-Imagn Images

The second-year starter - first year with Duke - has completed 70.3% of his passes for 2,211 yards, 17 touchdowns and two interceptions, while attempting 8.9 yards per throw.

His production is not a product of dinking and dunking. Rather, Mensah prioritizes pushing the ball down the field, and his quick feet and feel in the pocket affords him time to take those deep shots.

If protection holds up and allows Mensah to play to these strenghts, the Blue Devils will have every opportunity to steal a game on the road.

Cooper Barkate

The fifth-year wide receiver had his breakout game of the season in Week 8 against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, securing 13 receptions for 172 yards.

Barkate has firmly established himself as Duke's WR1, and Mensah's success will be predicated on how well the former Harvard wideout performs against Clemson's man-coverage defense.

Sep 20, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils wide receiver Cooper Barkate (18) runs for a touchdown in the third quarter against the NC State Wolfpack at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Mensah is capable of distributing the ball to multiple pass catchers, but the passing game runs through Barkate before everything else falls into place.

Vincent Anthony Jr.

Nov 30, 2024; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons quarterback Hank Bachmeier (9) is pressured by Duke Blue Devils defensive end Vincent Anthony Jr. (7) during the second half at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

As mentioned, this game will require all three phases to operate soundly. With that being said, the defensive side of the ball will have the most responsibilities.

That starts with Anthony Jr., who has been the driving force for this unit, leading the defense with 6.5 sacks through seven games.

The senior defensive end was stifled against Georgia Tech, leading to the Yellow Jackets imposing their will in the rushing attack. That cannot be the case on Saturday if the Blue Devils want to be victorious.