Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| 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 |
| Wk 2 | W 31-27@ Illinois | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#18
Kobe Smith
Sophomore defensive end on Duke's 2026 roster.
6′3″ · 225 lb · Chattanooga, TN · Red Bank
Returning to Duke for 2026
The numbers
0
sacks · 2026
2 tackles
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 1 tackles, at Illinois
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
2 defensive end on Duke's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Duke in 2024.
Kobe Smith
Holds up snap after snap without a weakness to attack. He has spent two seasons in the Duke defensive front. The receipt: 1 tackles against Illinois — Week 2, 2026.
2 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
His career
2024
- Signed with Duke3-star out of Red Bank
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Duke
NFL
NFL Draft
—
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2 seasons under Manny Diaz — 11-5 over that span.
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
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 2 games: 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 · 2025
Backup
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 31–27
at Illinois
1 TOT
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 4 on the road.
With W. Eget — 206 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · QBR 75.9 · -2 rush yds (1 car) · N. Sheppard — 147 rush yds (24 car) · 1 TD
Game log
How he plays
Play style
No single standout number, but nothing missing either — competent across the board.
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
Versatile End
No single standout number, but nothing missing either — competent across the board.
EDGE
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Sterling Lane’s 2024 season.
Matches Sterling on
Height
Weight
TFL rate
Differs from Sterling on
Class year (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a freshman, his production profile tracks closest to Ashton Woods's freshman season at West Virginia (2025).
Matches Ashton on
Class year
Height
Sack rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Kobe Smith
Background
2026: Returning defensive end ... 2025 Academic All-ACC selection ... in 18 career games, has compiled 10 tackles, one caused fumble and two QB pressures ... recorded one tackle in six contests and a career-high four at Syracuse in 2025 ... credited with a caused fumble at California in 2025 … bo...
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
- #18Kobe Smith0 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