After finishing its regular season with a victory against Pittsburgh to finish the season 7-5, the Blue Devils received even more praise Tuesday afternoon with the release of All-ACC teams.
Duke had three players be named to the All-ACC first team, as redshirt senior defensive tackle DeWayne Carter, graduate punter Porter Wilson and senior left tackle Graham Barton were all tabbed to the illustrious list. This is Barton’s second year in a row landing on the conference first team, as the Brentwood, Tenn., native put together another excellent year on an offensive line that only allowed 15 sacks all season despite dealing with constant injuries.
Carter came into the year tabbed as a preseason All-ACC selection, and the three-year Blue Devil captain lived up to expectations, moving up from his second-team placement last season. The redshirt senior, who also received the Jim Tatum Award Monday from the conference, has been a stalwart on a very talented and experienced defensive line unit all season long, racking up 39 tackles as well as a fumble return touchdown.
Wilson was the star of an outstanding Duke special teams unit, establishing himself as one of the best punters in the nation. The graduate student finished the regular season ranking eighth in the nation in punting average with 46.6 yards per punt on 50 tries this season. Wilson was also tabbed earlier this season as a Ray Guy Award Semifinalist, given to the best punter nationally.
After his outstanding second half to the season, wide receiver Jordan Moore was named to the All-ACC second team. In his first full year playing the position, Moore broke out, leading the team in both receptions and receiving yards with 59 catches for 794 yards and eight touchdowns. The junior also ranks fourth in the conference in both receptions and touchdowns this season.
Jacob Monk was the second captain named to an All-ACC team for the Blue Devils, as the graduate student was also a second team selection. Monk was named ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week after Duke’s October win against N.C. State, a highlight of an impressive season where he helped establish a dominant ground game in Durham.
Tre Freeman was the third Duke player to land on the second team, as the redshirt sophomore linebacker enjoyed a very nice season in his third year with the program. The Durham native led the team with 97 tackles this year, the sixth-highest mark in the league. Freeman also tallied five tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks on the year, and has a chance to reach the 100-tackle mark during the bowl game, something that has not been done in Durham since 2019.
Graduate running back Jordan Waters and senior defensive tackle Aeneas Peebles were tabbed as third team selections, giving Duke eight players on the top three units. Waters had a spectacular year in a crowded backfield, rushing for a score in eight different games for Duke while amassing 773 yards on a team-best 142 carries. Waters also has 12 rushing scores on the season, the fourth-highest mark in the conference. Peebles, despite being a rotational player on the defensive line the majority of the season, made his presence known consistently. The Raleigh native finished the season with 40 tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss, tied for a team-high. The senior helped Duke’s defensive unit finish the year ranked 21st nationally in scoring defense with 19.8 points allowed per contest.
Graduate transfer Al Blades Jr. and junior nickel Brandon Johnson were also named as All-ACC honorable mentions, giving Duke 10 total players who received honors from the conference.
Duke awaits its bowl selection this Sunday at 12 p.m.
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