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Five Blue Devils Earn AP All-ACC Honors
12/8/2025 1:17:00 PM | Football
DURHAM, N.C. – Fresh off its ACC championship, Duke continued to add postseason awards Monday with five Blue Devils earning Associated Press All-ACC recognition.
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Quarterback Darian Mensah and offensive tackle Brian Parker II headlined the group as Mensah was chosen the Transfer Newcomer of the Year while Parker II was a first team selection. Duke added four second-team honorees in wide receiver Cooper Barkate, Mensah, cornerback Chandler Rivers and running back Nate Sheppard. Â
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Mensah, a 6-3, 205-pound redshirt sophomore from San Louis Obispo, California, has completed 305-of-449 passes (.679) for 3,646 yards and 30 touchdowns against just five interceptions. Mensah already owns the Duke single-season touchdown record and currently tops the ACC in TD tosses and yards. Mensah, who was named MVP of the ACC Championship Game, earned his eighth win as Duke's starting quarterback in the contest, tied for the fifth most in a year by a Duke signal caller.
Parker II, a 6-5, 305-pound redshirt junior from Cincinnati, Ohio, leads an offensive line that is a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award, which recognizes the most outstanding offensive line. He is helping Duke rank 21st nationally in points per game. His work has enabled the Blue Devils to tie the school record for touchdowns in a season with 57. Pro Football Focus (PFF) grades Parker II as having the sixth-best offensive mark among all offensive linemen nationally.
Barkate, a 6-1, 195-pound graduate student from Newport Beach, California, leads Duke with 68 receptions, 1,069 yards and six touchdowns. He is just the sixth Blue Devil to record a 1,000-yard receiving season and first since 2014. He ranks second in the ACC in total receiving yards and tops the league in receiving yards after halftime (583). Barkate also ranks 10th nationally in total receiving yards.
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Rivers, a 5-10, 185-pound senior from Beaumont, Texas, has carded 59 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, one caused fumble, one quarterback pressure and eight pass breakups. He is tied for 13th in the league in interceptions and tied for fourth in passes defended. Among active FBS student-athletes, he ranks tied for third in career passes defended with 37.Â
Sheppard, a 5-10, 200-pound freshman from Mandeville, Louisiana, leads Duke with 178 carries for 985 yards (5.40) and stands second with 10 touchdowns. He has added 35 receptions for 266 yards (7.60) and one score. Sheppard has already set the Duke freshman records for rushing yards and ground touchdowns. His 35 receptions tie for the seventh most by a Duke rookie in program history and are the most by a Blue Devil freshman running back. He became the second player in ACC Championship Game history to record five or more catches and a rushing touchdown in the contest, joining Florida State's Dalvin Cook in 2014.Â
Duke Associated Press All-ACC Selections
QB – Darian Mensah – Transfer Newcomer of the Year
WR – Cooper Barkate – Second Team Offense
QB – Darian Mensah – Second Team Offense
OT – Brian Parker II – Second Team Offense
RB – Nate Sheppard – Second Team Offense
CB – Chandler Rivers – Second Team Defense
For more information on Duke Football, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching "DukeFOOTBALL".
#GoDuke
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Quarterback Darian Mensah and offensive tackle Brian Parker II headlined the group as Mensah was chosen the Transfer Newcomer of the Year while Parker II was a first team selection. Duke added four second-team honorees in wide receiver Cooper Barkate, Mensah, cornerback Chandler Rivers and running back Nate Sheppard. Â
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Mensah, a 6-3, 205-pound redshirt sophomore from San Louis Obispo, California, has completed 305-of-449 passes (.679) for 3,646 yards and 30 touchdowns against just five interceptions. Mensah already owns the Duke single-season touchdown record and currently tops the ACC in TD tosses and yards. Mensah, who was named MVP of the ACC Championship Game, earned his eighth win as Duke's starting quarterback in the contest, tied for the fifth most in a year by a Duke signal caller.
Parker II, a 6-5, 305-pound redshirt junior from Cincinnati, Ohio, leads an offensive line that is a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award, which recognizes the most outstanding offensive line. He is helping Duke rank 21st nationally in points per game. His work has enabled the Blue Devils to tie the school record for touchdowns in a season with 57. Pro Football Focus (PFF) grades Parker II as having the sixth-best offensive mark among all offensive linemen nationally.
Barkate, a 6-1, 195-pound graduate student from Newport Beach, California, leads Duke with 68 receptions, 1,069 yards and six touchdowns. He is just the sixth Blue Devil to record a 1,000-yard receiving season and first since 2014. He ranks second in the ACC in total receiving yards and tops the league in receiving yards after halftime (583). Barkate also ranks 10th nationally in total receiving yards.
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Rivers, a 5-10, 185-pound senior from Beaumont, Texas, has carded 59 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, one caused fumble, one quarterback pressure and eight pass breakups. He is tied for 13th in the league in interceptions and tied for fourth in passes defended. Among active FBS student-athletes, he ranks tied for third in career passes defended with 37.Â
Sheppard, a 5-10, 200-pound freshman from Mandeville, Louisiana, leads Duke with 178 carries for 985 yards (5.40) and stands second with 10 touchdowns. He has added 35 receptions for 266 yards (7.60) and one score. Sheppard has already set the Duke freshman records for rushing yards and ground touchdowns. His 35 receptions tie for the seventh most by a Duke rookie in program history and are the most by a Blue Devil freshman running back. He became the second player in ACC Championship Game history to record five or more catches and a rushing touchdown in the contest, joining Florida State's Dalvin Cook in 2014.Â
Duke Associated Press All-ACC Selections
QB – Darian Mensah – Transfer Newcomer of the Year
WR – Cooper Barkate – Second Team Offense
QB – Darian Mensah – Second Team Offense
OT – Brian Parker II – Second Team Offense
RB – Nate Sheppard – Second Team Offense
CB – Chandler Rivers – Second Team Defense
For more information on Duke Football, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching "DukeFOOTBALL".
#GoDuke
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Players Mentioned
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