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All-American WR Enters College Football Transfer Portal After 1,000-Yard Season

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Hunter Hodies | Last updated Jan 22, 2026 12:22 PM ET

Duke's top wide receiver has entered the transfer portal.

According to On3's Pete Nakos, Duke wide receiver Cooper Barkate has entered the portal. Barkate was Duke's best receiver this year, finishing with 72 receptions for 1,106 yards and seven touchdowns. He is expected to have one season of eligibility remaining.

Duke also lost fellow wideout Que'Sean Brown to the portal after he finished the season with 64 receptions for 846 yards and five touchdowns. Brown committed to Virginia Tech and will have a starting role for the program next season.

Barkate should generate significant interest from other teams, given his season and his status as an All-American wide receiver at Harvard.

NEW: Duke WR Cooper Barkate has entered the NCAA transfer portal, @PeteNakos reports.

Barkate totaled 1,106 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns this season.https://t.co/fuZ3rN5GBL pic.twitter.com/95WIIQhHsp
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) January 22, 2026

Barkate was at Harvard for three seasons before transferring to Duke, and had his best season with the program in 2024 when he compiled 63 receptions for 1,084 yards and 11 touchdowns.

In four seasons, Barkate has racked up 185 receptions for 2,848 yards and 21 touchdowns. He has also averaged 15.4 yards per catch.

Duke is coming off a 2025 season in which the program won the ACC Championship over Virginia. Duke entered that game with a 7-5 record but beat Virginia in overtime.

Duke then beat Arizona State in the Sun Bowl to finish the season with a 9-5 record. Manny Diaz has been the program's head coach for two seasons and has an 18-9 overall record.

He will try to build on the success of the 2025 team for next season, which starts in late August.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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