Barkate needs more targets

[LuCane]

Alvin Harper was NOT Micheal Irvin. But Alvin Harper was a great #2 receiver.

Barkarte is NOT Toney. But he can be a great #2 receiver.

Barkate wishes he could win 1 on 1 matchups like Alvin Harper. Expecting him to do something outside of his skill set is going to only lead us to inefficiency and disappointment.

I watched every single one of his catches at Duke. I encourage others to do the same. It’s one thing to look at stats and think they’ll just transfer. It’s another thing to look at the plays for those stats and see if we are likely to create the same scenarios.

I was told about his yards per catch and long play against Clemson. So I watched. It was a broken play that free’d him by design. Then we ask or expect him to just dominate an outside corner? Doesn’t make sense. I’d have to see him get much cleaner releases and separation to expect that. We’ll see.

 

[L A M P]

Spoiler

Dawson isn’t all that creative

 

[Firesite]

Dawson is a problem and it is going to cost us.

 

[TerragonSix]

Barkate wishes he could win 1 on 1 matchups like Alvin Harper. Expecting him to do something outside of his skill set is going to only lead us to inefficiency and disappointment.

I watched every single one of his catches at Duke. I encourage others to do the same. It’s one thing to look at stats and think they’ll just transfer. It’s another thing to look at the plays for those stats and see if we are likely to create the same scenarios.

I was told about his yards per catch and long play against Clemson. So I watched. It was a broken play that free’d him by design. Then we ask or expect him to just dominate an outside corner? Doesn’t make sense. I’d have to see him get much cleaner releases and separation to expect that. We’ll see.

Tbf, Alvin was winning 1 on 1 matchups with DB's that were not the best DB's on the field. Those DB's were covering Playmaker, lol.

That's what when he went to Tampa as a free agent he turned out to be a huge bust. He was not a #1. He was a solid #2.

 

[Angry Ibis]

Barkate wishes he could win 1 on 1 matchups like Alvin Harper. Expecting him to do something outside of his skill set is going to only lead us to inefficiency and disappointment.

I watched every single one of his catches at Duke. I encourage others to do the same. It’s one thing to look at stats and think they’ll just transfer. It’s another thing to look at the plays for those stats and see if we are likely to create the same scenarios.

I was told about his yards per catch and long play against Clemson. So I watched. It was a broken play that free’d him by design. Then we ask or expect him to just dominate an outside corner? Doesn’t make sense. I’d have to see him get much cleaner releases and separation to expect that. We’ll see.

I think the issue is Duke could figure it out, but we could not... against Wake Forest. We went into a shell and **** down our leg, after going conservative at the end of the first half instead of pushing the pedal. Frustrating.

 

[LuCane]

Tbf, Alvin was winning 1 on 1 matchups with DB's that were not the best DB's on the field. Those DB's were covering Playmaker, lol.

That's what when he went to Tampa as a free agent he turned out to be a huge bust. He was not a #1. He was a solid #2.

I haven’t rewatched tonight, but I did focus on a few reps for Barkate when he was solo at the bottom of the formation. He didn’t separate quickly enough and Mensah went elsewhere. Maybe he improves that. I hope. Because we need someone to win outside. Call Cam Vaughn back or out Jacobs in. I don’t care what you do. Someone has to quickly win outside. And, yeah, we have to be willing to go vertical on early downs.

 

[Shooter McGavin]

Dawson chopped off his tiny ****** that second half. None of the WR’s are to blame.

 

[ssvir]

I'd have to rewatch the game, but they didn't even throw the dumb 2 yard screens to him

They threw at least one

 

[919cane]

What was the issue with Toney? He looked fine running on and off for 3rd downs. Scared of that **** turf?

 

[cookies]

I’d love for him to be the permanent PR

 

[skyman]

He’s not that guy and I think you all were expecting something that doesn’t exist in his game. He needs to be a complementary WR running routes in designed matchups and combination patterns out of bunch, trips, etc. Watch all of his plays from last season at Duke. Many of them were from offensive design and leverage. A couple times tonight he was alone one one side of the formation and didn’t get clean releases.

So, before you all freak out, I agree he is solid, but he’s not a ‘consistently beat an outside CB’ type of WR. We need that to come from Moore or Jacobs or give Wingo a chance.

If Mali is limited, your offense cannot go into a shell. But, there’s a lot more to talk about our personnel grouping choices anyway.

I hear you, I watched every Mensah throw also but Barkate didnt get 1100 yards on broken clemson play, if you gonna lock him in as starter, you have to find something to get him involved. And more than a screen. If he cant give you anything why is he starting? I find it hard to believe we cant find ANYTHING on film to get him involved.. This is not a good look..

We have no other WR that is able to produce than Mali? All of them cant beat a guy? We go from best wr core to no one can do anything if Mali is not available?

 

[Silentobserver]

We spent all off-season talking about how talent our WR room has yet we still struggle to create separation.

How many deep shots did we take aside from the one or two we threw to Lofton (why was he our deep threat?)? The occasional deep shot to keep the defense honest especially in a 2 and manageable situation at least lots the DBs on their toes. Isn't Jacobs supposed to be that guy?

I'm curious to know what Wake was doing in the back end with their coverages in the second half, because whatever they were doing clearly made Mensah second guess what he was seeing

 

[CityboyCanes4life82]

It's amazing how Dawson can go from genius to moron in 5 seconds

That’s what makes him so frustrating

 

[CityboyCanes4life82]

Barkate wishes he could win 1 on 1 matchups like Alvin Harper. Expecting him to do something outside of his skill set is going to only lead us to inefficiency and disappointment.

I watched every single one of his catches at Duke. I encourage others to do the same. It’s one thing to look at stats and think they’ll just transfer. It’s another thing to look at the plays for those stats and see if we are likely to create the same scenarios.

I was told about his yards per catch and long play against Clemson. So I watched. It was a broken play that free’d him by design. Then we ask or expect him to just dominate an outside corner? Doesn’t make sense. I’d have to see him get much cleaner releases and separation to expect that. We’ll see.

To be fair, every receiver gets open by design. No one is just lining up and beating their man constantly.

 

[Mnhurricane]

A good OC who could scheme guys open would help. Only Mali has an ability to consistently get open in the offense. Moore when he’s in maybe.

Not to mention Dawsons offense is entirely built around throwing to the slot

 

[FreeVilma]

It's amazing how Dawson can go from genius to moron in 5 seconds

 

[CBurrr93]

We ran 15 straight screens. Can’t judge

Never seen anything like that 2nd half in my entire life. But the board has anointed Dawson some genius. I would think he was on the take tonight

 

[Hoyacane1620]

What was the issue with Toney? He looked fine running on and off for 3rd downs. Scared of that **** turf?

It looked like he maybe strained something in the abdomen area. After he had to leap up to make that catch in the first half, he ran off the field with his hand on his abdomen. Could have been precautionary to limit his snaps.

 

[LuCane]

I hear you, I watched every Mensah throw also but Barkate didnt get 1100 yards on broken clemson play, if you gonna lock him in as starter, you have to find something to get him involved. And more than a screen. If he cant give you anything why is he starting? I find it hard to believe we cant find ANYTHING on film to get him involved.. This is not a good look..

We have no other WR that is able to produce than Mali? All of them cant beat a guy? We go from best wr core to no one can do anything if Mali is not available?

No, he didn’t get all 1100 yards on a broken play, but he’s not the ‘beat his man 1 on 1’ guy people think, either. I brought up the play because people used it as evidence of big play ability without the context of what happened. Barkate can win, but he’s not winning consistently enough the way some may want: physically dominating the man across from him through speed or strength or quickness off the line. Essentially, more like a Split End. At least it’s not been shown in his game. He is precise in his route, often requires timing and double moves, and Duke’s OC last year did a solid job of finding him leverage. Should we do the same? We have already when we had him inside in trips against Stanford and he smoked a matchup. Should we do that more? Of course! I came here mainly to respond to people who had insinuated - on and off the board - that ‘we had a 1000 yard receiver, and he didn’t show up.’

Re: Clemson play, see below:

It’s the third play here:

During the 2025 college football season, Duke wide receiver Cooper Barkate scored a 77-yard touchdownagainst the Clemson Tigers on November 1, 2025. The long touchdown pass was thrown by quarterback Darian Mensah in the first quarter, capitalizing on a major defensive miscommunication and coverage bust by Clemson that left Barkate completely uncovered in the secondary.

To be fair, every receiver gets open by design. No one is just lining up and beating their man constantly.

I didn’t say constantly. I read other people wanting him to be something he is not.

 

[caneworld]

It's Dawson getting into his typical malaise again... last season there was that A gap pow pow with some local reporter that got him triggered. Not sure it will work again