Duke Football 2026 Top 30 Players: No. 24

The Duke football program had a long offseason after several key players on both sides of the ball departed, either for the NFL Draft or the transfer portal.

Head coach Manny Diaz and his staff were put in an extremely difficult spot, forced to retool the roster to get ready to compete in 2025. It certainly wasn't a simple task, but the Blue Devils look poised to compete near the top of the ACC standings once again in 2026, or at least have a shot to do so.

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

On the defensive side of the ball, Duke lost several big-time contributors over the last few seasons, namely Chandler Rivers, Wesley Williams, and Vincent Anthony Jr. Now, it will be up to the returners and newcomers to fill the voids left behind by those talents who are now out of the program.

In 2025, the Blue Devils finished sixth in the ACC in sacks (26), fourth in interceptions (14), third in fumbles forced (10), and 12th in average points allowed per game (29.4). It was a bit of a down year for the program in terms of its defensive prowess, as the Blue Devils boasted arguably the league's top unit in 2024, Diaz's first year as Duke's head coach.

Dec 6, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils defensive tackle Aaron Hall (99) and defensive end Wesley Williams (97) celebrate after winning the ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

However, there is still plenty of upside for the Blue Devils to return to defensive dominance in 2026, specifically in the front seven. Diaz and Co. are bringing in several intriguing newcomers via the transfer portal, and a bunch of returners will have to take on bigger roles this time around.

There will be several intriguing position battles in Durham as training camp rolls around, but Diaz is confident in his unit heading into Year 3 with the Blue Devils.

Oct 18, 2024; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils defensive end Wesley Williams (97) celebrates a down during the first half of the game against Florida State at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

“We’re excited about what we’re bringing back," Diaz said back 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.”

The defensive end group could be one of Duke's best in 2026, with a ton of depth all over the line that will consistently pressure the quarterback. It's still unclear who the heavy hitters will be on that front of the football, but there are several worthy candidates who could take major steps forward next season.

That is where we will continue our Duke football top 30 2026 players list, with an intriguing veteran defensive end who has a ton of room to grow, and should be awarded the time on the field to take a major leap with Duke this coming season.

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

Duke Football 2026 Top 30 Players: No. 24 DE Kevin O'Connor

Defensive end Kevin O'Connor will be entering his redshirt junior campaign with the Blue Devils. He actually came out of high school as a linebacker. O'Connor was a 3-star recruit, rated as the No. 846 overall player, No. 69 linebacker, and No. 13 player out of the state of Maryland, according to the 247Sports 2023 Composite Rankings.

In addition to Duke, the 6'4", 245-pound defensive front piece earned Power Conference offers from Maryland, Virginia, and Virginia Tech. O'Connor was a versatile athlete in high school, playing linebacker and quarterback with the football team, as well as playing basketball and lacrosse at Easton High School (MD).

Sep 28, 2024; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils defensive end Kevin O'Connor (50) and defensive end Wesley Williams (97) celebrates during the second half of the game against North Carolina Tar Heels at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

O'Connor didn't see any game action in his true freshman season in 2023, but saw the field minimally as a redshirt freshman in 2024. In his redshirt freshman campaign, O'Connor tallied eight total tackles and 0.5 sacks, appearing in seven games before missing the remainder of the year due to injury.

2025 was poised to finally be O'Connor's breakout year in Durham, and although he saw a lot of action, there was still a lot to be desired from his contributions on the field. As a redshirt sophomore, the Maryland native appeared in all of Duke's 14 games, notching 11 total tackles and four quarterback pressures.

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

Although he wasn't a major contributor on the defensive front, O'Connor was one of the team's prominent special teams pieces. As one of the unit's main blockers, O'Connor received the team's Special Teams Most Valuable Player Award. However, O'Connor has potential for much more in 2026.

I expect O'Connor to be a starter right away on the defensive line, although he will have some competition for snaps. Former 4-star recruit Bryce Davis, the Blue Devils' highest-rated recruit in program history per 247Sports, is bound to take a big leap as a sophomore this season after playing sparingly as a rookie. Then, there are pieces such as Semaj Turner and Kobe Smith with potential to improve as well.

Nov 29, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz looks on against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during the fourth quarter at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

However, O'Connor's veteran presence should earn him the nod, at least early on in the season. He has the talent and athleticism to be one of the Blue Devils' biggest contributors on the defensive line, but he will have to earn his mainstay role as a starter.

This year, more than last, Diaz and the rest of his staff will need their squad to be extremely productive on the defensive side of the ball. Duke will likely be nowhere near the level of production offensively as it was in 2025, given star quarterback Darian Mensah and top wide receivers Cooper Barkate and Que'Sean Brown are gone from the program.

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

Last year, the Blue Devils were able to get away with mediocre defensive efforts since they had the top scoring offense in the ACC. With San Jose State transfer Walker Eget leading a new offensive unit headlined by several mid-major transfers, the Blue Devils probably won't be as consistent on offense, at least right away.

O'Connor will be one of the many defensive front-seven pieces who will need to take a big step forward in production for the Blue Devils to remain competitive atop the ACC. Coming off an ACC title in 2025, there is work to be done for Duke to even have a chance to defend that crown. However, the door is open if the right pieces of the puzzle fall into place.

Duke Football 2026 Top 30 Players: No. 24 DE Kevin O'Connor

Other Top 30 Stories