2025 Clemson Schedule Series: Duke |
Grayson Mann
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- Thursday, February 06 2025
A November to remember.
That phrase will be locked in for the witching hour of Clemson’s final stretch in 2025. Much like 2024, that final stretch is more like a final boss. Once again, the Tigers will play five games to close the last month of the regular season. One of those includes a Friday night matchup in Louisville, but we’ll get to that one later. To kick off the five-game gauntlet is Duke, a program that was on the rise under Mike Elko’s leadership. A call from Texas A&M changed that trajectory, leaving the Blue Devils to shift gears to Manny Diaz moving forward. Under Diaz in year one, how did Duke fare after a rather successful 2023 season? What improvements so far in the 2025 offseason have been made to ensure that stock continues to rise? 2024 Results: 9-4, 5-3 ACC Postseason: Gator Bowl - L - Ole Miss 52-20 Year one under Diaz saw Duke again prove it could be a consistent competitor within the ACC, posting a record of .500 or better in conference play for the third straight season. With Texas transfer Maalik Murphy and a defensive-minded head coach, the fit was always a little bit sideways, but this unit found ways to win consistently. Duke began 2024 5-0, capping a five-game winning streak with a win over rival North Carolina, taking care of business in the easier portions of its schedule. Wins over Northwestern and UConn in September may not be much to cheer for, but an undefeated start to the year is notable for a school mainly known for its basketball. The latter half of the Blue Devils’ schedule was more of an up-and-down affair, with the offense trading inconsistency in for losses to Georgia Tech, Miami, and SMU. The offense’s inability to muster consistency when needed most cost them, particularly in the matchups with the Yellow Jackets and Mustangs. A significant factor in why is the turnovers, coughing up nearly two per game. Most came through Murphy, who led the conference in interceptions, tossing 12 in 2024 despite nearly throwing for 3,000 yards and recording 26 touchdowns with his arm. Despite those losses, the Blue Devils closed the regular season on a three-game winning streak, securing a decent bid for a bowl game and rebounding from a tough stretch in October and early November. In that final three-game stretch, the offense averaged 27 points per game, ending the year on a positive and consistent note. That much can’t be said about the result against Ole Miss in the Gator Bowl. Lane Kiffin’s offense was too much to handle, and the Rebels thumped Duke in Jacksonville. It was a rather brutal end to the season, but Diaz certainly will hold plenty of praise for nearly accomplishing a ten-win season at Duke, something that hasn’t been done since 2013. With a splash on the recruiting trail and the top quarterback in the portal, Duke’s efforts in the offseason have been enough to make 2025 a year for a potentially massive jump. 2025 Recruiting Class Overall Rank: 31st Top Signee: Four-star edge Bryce Davis (Greensboro, NC) Duke’s top signee in its 2025 class was originally not set to join the Blue Devils roster. Davis announced his commitment to Clemson in July, adding another talented piece on the defensive side for the Tigers. That pledge flipped rather quickly. Nearly one month later, Davis decommitted from Clemson and announced he was signing with Duke. Davis will come in and immediately contribute to the Blue Devil Defense, a unit that slipped from the 17th best nationally in 2023 to 60th in 2024. 2025 Transfer Class Overall Rank: 63rd Top Commitments: QB Darian Mensah (Tulane), WR Andrel Anthony Duke’s transfer class only holds seven commitments, but Mensah was arguably one of the most significant commitments in the country. Next to John Mateer, Mensah was considered one of the top players in the transfer class, leading Tulane to a 9-5 record while holding the best completion percentage in the conference. Mensah should bring added juice to the Blue Devil offense that hasn’t been seen since Riley Leonard led the charge in 2023. The new Duke signal caller also has a new pass catcher to work with, as the former Sooner and Wolverine Anthony will add some depth to the room for Mensah to build chemistry with. Clemson schedule series: Georgia Tech2025 Clemson Schedule Series: Duke
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