4 Duke Offensive Threats the Wolfpack Must Be Prepared For
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RALEIGH, N.C. -- While North Carolina State completed its 3-0 start with a win at Wake Forest on Thursday, the Wolfpack's week four opponent surprisingly fell to 1-2 with another loss Saturday.
The Duke Blue Devils entered the 2025 season with high hopes of being a potential dark horse candidate to reach the ACC Championship. With the nation's highest-paid quarterback and a quality head coach in Manny Diaz, the Blue Devils were expected to build upon the 9-4 record in 2024. However, Duke fell to 1-2 with the loss to Tulane on Saturday.
Diaz's teams normally play quality defense, but the 2025 Duke squad can score in bunches. The Blue Devils pose some serious threats offensively to a vulnerable NC State defense that will be without one of its best pass rushers in the first half. The Wolfpack will have to contain a few of these Duke stars if it wants to keep the perfect start going.
Que'Sean Brown
Duke throws the ball a whole lot. Luckily for the Blue Devils, they have talented pass catchers on the roster. Sophomore wideout Que'Sean Brown likely poses the biggest challenge yet for the Wolfpack secondary in terms of an individual matchup. While they've been tested by talented receivers like Virginia's Cam Ross, Brown's speed and route-running could pose problems for the Wolfpack defensive backs.
In 2025 so far, Brown hasn't reached the end zone, but he has been Duke's most reliable big-play receiver. The sophomore caught six passes for 81 yards in the loss to Tulane, but was held in check by Illinois' strong defense in that matchup.
Through three games, Brown has 191 yards on 13 receptions with an average of 14.7 yards per catch. The wide receiver also contributes on special teams. Against Elon in the opener, he ran a punt 71 yards for a touchdown and tallied 175 all-purpose yards.
Que’Sean Brown making plays everywhere in @DukeFOOTBALL’s opener! 6 catches for 93 yards + a 78-yard punt return TD. 🏃♂️🔥@DrPepper pic.twitter.com/ZrsZaMMKAF
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) August 29, 2025
Cooper Barkate
After spending three seasons with Harvard, graduate receiver Cooper Barkate brought his talents to Durham for a shot to play power conference football. So far, the investment Duke made in the Ivy League receiver has paid dividends. In the first three games, he led the Blue Devils with 14 receptions for 272 yards.
The pedigree was there before Barkate arrived in North Carolina. He finished with over 1,000 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns, helping him make the All-Ivy League first team and the FCS All-American second team. The sure-handed receiver is a big target, standing at 6-foot-1. While Brown offers a speedier option out of the slot, Barkate is the Blue Devils' physical receiving target.
Darian Mensah
Duke's offense starts and ends with sophomore quarterback Darian Mensah. The California native became the highest-paid quarterback when he transferred from Tulane to Duke, making around $8 million over two seasons.
With the high price came high expectations, and so far, Mensah has lived up to the hype statistically. The pair of losses was hardly Mensah's fault, as Duke's defense fell apart late in the Illinois game and early against Tulane.
The quarterback threw for 1,036 yards and eight touchdowns in the team's 1-2 start. He currently ranks third in the country in passing yards behind Baylor's Sawyer Robinson and Steve Angeli of Syracuse.
Darian Mensah : 30/51 for 313 yards, 3 TD's, INT & a 126 QB Rating (Transferred from Tulane last offseason) pic.twitter.com/wCREbRA6dU
— Lee Harvey (@MusikFan4Life) September 14, 2025
Mensah attempted 51 passes against the Green Wave in Saturday's loss, largely because the team fell behind early and tried to claw its way back. His arm strength is impressive and he can sling it on the run particularly well.
He hasn't proven to be a threat on the ground in 2025, rushing just 12 times for -6 yards in the team's first three games. He's completed 11 passes of 25-plus yards so far this season. For reference, NC State quarterback CJ Bailey has completed just six.
The Duke signal caller is easily the most dynamic and talented quarterback the Wolfpack will see early in the season, with the next test coming in the road trip to Notre Dame against CJ Carr.
Jaquez Moore
While Duke showed more of a pass-heavy offense in its first three games, the Blue Devils aren't devoid of talent in the backfield. Senior running back Jaquez Moore returned for a fifth season at Duke after playing just five games in 2024 due to injury.
Before his derailed 2024 season, Moore looked to be a prime breakout candidate after he came on strong in 2023. He ran for 674 yards and six touchdowns as the team's second running back. NC State's rush defense has been a rollercoaster against opposing running backs so far and Moore is the latest candidate to potentially cause problems for the Wolfpack.
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Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.
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