Duke Football 2026 Top 30 Players: No. 26

Duke football head coach Manny Diaz comes from a defensive-minded background.

From his time at both Miami and Penn State, to now with the Blue Devils, Diaz has led elite defensive units and is looking to get Duke back to that status in 2026.

In Diaz's first year at the helm, Duke was arguably the best defensive team in the ACC and one of the better front-seven units in all of college football. Last season, that team took a step back.

Dec 6, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz celebrates defeating the Virginia Cavaliers during the 2025 ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The Blue Devils entered the 2026 campaign with high expectations on the defensive side of the ball, as many key pieces in the front seven and secondary were back in Durham. However, that did not come into fruition.

In 2024, Diaz's first year with the Blue Devils, Duke tied the ACC lead in sacks with 43, led the conference in forced fumbles and fumbles recovered with 19 and 14, respectively, and finished fifth in interceptions with 13. The Blue Devils also ranked seventh in average points allowed per game (24.5).

Nov 8, 2025; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz watches from the sideline as they take on the UConn Huskies at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

This past season, there wasn't the same level of fear that was instilled in opponents when Duke came to town. Diaz and Co. finished sixth in the league in sacks (26), third in fumbles forced (10), second in fumbles recovered (10), fourth in interceptions (14), and 12th in average points allowed per game (29.4).

However, there's plenty of reason to believe that Duke can get back to that 2024 level of defensive pressure and consistency with the unit it is bringing in.

The Blue Devils have lost lots of their top contributors on the defensive side of the ball from a season ago, namely Wesley Williams, Vincent Anthony Jr., and Chandler Rivers, who all headed to the NFL. But Diaz and his staff have brought in some quality pieces via the transfer portal, including some former highly-touted recruits who still have some serious untapped potential.

Dec 6, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz looks on after the game against the Virginia Cavaliers during the 2025 ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Defensive coordinator Jonathan Patke is back with the Blue Devils in 2026, along with Diaz, as the pair look to bring Duke back to the top of college football on the defensive side. Considering the plethora of changes the Duke program went through on the offensive side of the ball, losing star quarterback Darian Mensah and star wide receiver Cooper Barkate to Miami in the portal, Duke will likely have to lead with its defense in 2026.

That means that several of these new pieces will have to step up. There are plenty of options, some with more on-field experience at the collegiate level than others. Nonetheless, the production is there, and all that's left is execution.

Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz high-fives players Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, during the NCAA football game against the Clemson Tigers at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina. | Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

We continue our Duke football 2026 top 30 players list with one of the incoming defensive transfers for Duke, who hasn't seen a ton of time on the field throughout his career, but could make a name for himself in Durham.

Nov 15, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Virginia Cavaliers wide receiver Trell Harris (11) runs the ball against Duke Blue Devils defensive end Tyshon Reed (10) during the third quarter at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Duke Football 2026 Top 30 Players: No. 26 DT Owen Wafle

Owen Wafle was a high-profile recruit out of The Hun School (NJ). The 6'2", 290-pound defensive lineman was a 4-star recruit coming out of high school, rated as the No. 447 overall player, No. 50 defensive lineman, and No. 9 player out of the state of New Jersey, according to the 247Sports 2024 Composite Rankings.

Coming out of high school, Wafle held offers from marquee programs such as Michigan, Notre Dame, Iowa, Oklahoma, and West Virginia, among others. The New Jersey product ultimately committed to the Wolverines.

Sep 20, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils defensive end Kevin O'Connor (15) celebrates a NC State Wolfpack penalty during the first quarter at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

However, Wafle's time in Ann Arbor was short-lived. After not seeing the field as a rookie and redshirting, he hit the portal, ultimately committing to Penn State. Even with the fresh start, Wafle still struggled to see time on the field.

As a redshirt freshman with the Nittany Lions, Wafle appeared in nine games, logging five total tackles on the season. Following a year in State College, Wafle once again hit the portal. He ultimately landed at Duke, where his father, David, played defensive tackle in the 1990s.

Nov 30, 2024; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils cornerback Vontae Floyd (17) and defensive end Tyshon Reed (10) celebrate his fumble recovery against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during the second half at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Wafle now hits his third destination in as many years, looking to make his 4-star rating coming out of high school worthy of it. Given his untapped potential that went overlooked at both big-time programs he stopped at before heading to Durham, Wafle becomes one of the more intriguing defensive newcomers the Blue Devils have on the roster.

Wafle is strong and quick, able to play low to move around offensive linemen. Wafle boasts a strong work ethic and relies on raw strength and power to move by the wall on the offensive line.

The path to significant playing time won't be right in Wafle's hands despite his potential. With several other newcomers on the defensive line, the former Wolverine and Nittany Lion will have to earn it.

Nov 15, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz reacts during the third quarter against the Virginia Cavaliers at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Diaz has said he is extremely excited about the newcomers on the defensive front seven.

“We’re excited about what we’re bringing back," Diaz said in the spring. "Our defensive end room, we’ve done a really good job in recruiting. We rotate a lot of guys on the defensive line, so it’s not like, if you look at our snap counts, it’s pretty well distributed.”

There is a path for Wafle to start right away. Veterans Tyshon Reed and Kevin O'Connor will be likely starters on the defensive line, but there are several other pieces who could challenge Wafle right away.

Nov 15, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Virginia Cavaliers running back J'Mari Taylor (3) cuts through Duke Blue Devils saftey Caleb Weaver (3) and Duke Blue Devils defensive end Bryce Davis (14) during the third quarter at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Defensive end Bryce Davis is entering his sophomore campaign with the Blue Devils after coming into Durham as the highest-rated recruit in Duke football history, according to 247Sports. There are also pieces such as former 4-star recruit Bariate Kara, Preston Watson, and David Anderson who will be fighting for time on the gridiron.

Wafle enters his first season with Duke as an extremely interesting prospect to follow. Duke isn't a program that typically lands recruits rated as highly as the Hun product, but a few slow starts, and Wafle fell right into Diaz and Co.'s lap.

Wafle has the skills and the work ethic to be successful at the Power Four level, and this seems like his best shot to be a real contributor.

Duke Football 2026 Top 30 Players: No. 26 DT Owen Wafle

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