Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 1 game
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 17-3vs Tulane | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 1 tackles |
| Total | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#15
Kevin O'Connor
Junior defensive end on Duke's 2026 roster.
6′4″ · 245 lb · Easton, MD · Easton
Returning to Duke for 2026
The numbers
0
sacks · 2026
1 tackles · 1 hurries
1 game into 2026 so far -- Best game: 1 tackles, vs Tulane
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 defensive end on Duke's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Duke in 2023.
Kevin O'Connor
Collapses the pocket even when the sack doesn't come. Third year in the Duke defensive front, same address the whole way. One game to point at: 1 tackles against Tulane — Week 1, 2026.
1 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
His career
2023
- Signed with Duke3-star out of Easton
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Duke
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
1 coach2024–2026
Duke
Played his entire career under Manny Diaz.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
3 seasons under Manny Diaz — 20-9 over that span.
2024Duke9-4HC: Manny Diaz · Pass-leaning
2025Duke9-5HC: Manny Diaz · Balanced
2026Duke2-0HC: Manny Diaz · Run-heavy
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Elite: qb hurries (83rd percentile). Concern: tackles (0th percentile).
Box-score production (6)
Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 1 game: 1.0 TKL/g, 0.0 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Manny Diaz
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Collapses the pocket even when the sack doesn't come.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Duke
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive end · Duke
Returning around him
- 3 Duke players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +2 net (19 in / 17 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Duke · Last season: 9-5 · Talent rank #69 · 2026 recruiting class #71
DNA match
Player DNA
Pressure Merchant
Collapses the pocket even when the sack doesn't come.
EDGE
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Mekhi Buchanan’s 2023 season.
Matches Mekhi on
Weight
Sack rate
Height
Differs from Mekhi on
Class year (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Jacob Cruz's sophomore season at Jacksonville State (2025).
Matches Jacob on
Class year
Height
Sack rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Kevin O'Connor
Background
2026: Returning defensive end ... two-time Academic All-ACC selection (2024-25) ... member of the Duke Dean’s List for the spring 2026 semester ... in 27 career games, has compiled 19 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 0.5 sacks and four QB pressures ... added a six-yard run on a fake punt in 2025 … earned 2+ tac...
The defensive line · Duke
- #10Tyshon Reed3 tackles for loss · 2025
- #95Preston Watson3 tackles for loss · 2025
- #12Bryce Davis2 tackles for loss · 2025
- #15Kevin O'Connor1 tackle for loss · 2025
- #44David Anderson0.5 tackles for loss · 2025
12 more on the roster · Duke team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology