We continue our list of Duke football 's top 30 players heading into the 2026 season with our first player on the defensive side of the ball.
Head coach Manny Diaz has been absolutely fantastic through his first two years at the helm in Durham, securing a nine-win campaign in Year One and delivering Duke 's first ACC Championship since 1989 in Year Two.
Dec 6, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah (10) looks to throw in the second quarter against the Virginia Cavaliers during the 2025 ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Now, the Blue Devils were hit pretty hard with the transfer portal on the offensive side of the ball this offseason, namely with the losses of star quarterback Darian Mensah and star wide receiver Cooper Barkate .
However, the 2026 NFL Draft took away several of the Blue Devils' top defensive pieces from 2025. Duke lost key defensive front pieces such as Vincent Anthony Jr. , Josiah Green, and Wesley Williams, paving the way for the guys further down on the depth chart last season to step up.
Manny Diaz, head football coach at Duke, shouts during the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl against Arizona State at Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. | Gaby Velasquez/ El Paso Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Diaz is a defensive-minded coach, as his tenures with Miami and Penn State would point to. That success has translated through his time in Durham, and he looks to keep the defensive front seven alive despite losing lots of production from last season's club.
In 2025, the Blue Devils finished third in the ACC in fumbles forced (10), second in fumbles recovered (10), and sixth in total sacks (26). In 2024, Duke tied the ACC lead in sacks (43) and led the league in fumbles forced (19) and recovered (14).
Dec 6, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils defensive end Vincent Anthony Jr. (7) reacts after a play in the first quarter against the Virginia Cavaliers during the 2025 ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Diaz and defensive coordinator Jonathan Patke now look to ramp back up that defensive pressure in 2026. The Blue Devils brought in some talented pieces via the transfer portal, some of which we will discuss in this top 30 breakdown series down the road, but it still needs some of its depth guys to take on much bigger roles this upcoming campaign.
The Blue Devils lost every starting defensive lineman this offseason, which obviously raises concerns about the new pieces who will be taking over the front on that side of the ball.
Dec 6, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Virginia Cavaliers wide receiver Cam Ross (6) runs the ball while defended by Duke Blue Devils defensive tackle Josiah Green (4) in the third quarter during the 2025 ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
We will continue our top 30 players breakdown with one of those pieces that Diaz and Co. hope can succeed in a bigger role in 2026.
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
Preston Watson is entering his junior season with the Blue Devils, spending his entire collegiate career thus far in Durham. The 6'1", 295-pound defensive lineman was a 3-star recruit coming out of Seminole High School (FL), rated as the No. 854 overall player, No. 96 defensive lineman, and No. 119 player out of the state of Florida, according to the 247Sports 2024 Composite Rankings.
Watson committed to the Blue Devils shortly after attending Duke's Junior Day in January 2023. He held offers from the likes of Georgia Tech , Memphis , Louisville , Pitt, and Wake Forest, among others. Watson also played basketball in high school.
Dec 6, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Chandler Morris (4) passes the ball as Duke Blue Devils defensive end Kevin O'Connor (15) and linebacker Luke Mergott (34) pressure in the fourth quarter during the ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Through his freshman season at Duke, Watson was one of just four Blue Devil true freshmen to letter. He appeared in all 13 games across Duke's season, tallying seven total tackles and 0.5 sacks.
Watson didn't see as much of a jump in production from his rookie to sophomore campaign as he was hoping for. The lineman did appear in all of the Blue Devils' 14 contests, but totaled just 14 tackles, a pass deflection, three tackles for loss, and 0.5 sacks.
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
Over his career in Durham, Watson has shown flashes of the ability to disrupt the pass and put pressure on the quarterback early. Despite not getting all that great of an opportunity throughout his first two seasons with the Blue Devils, his tape shows he can make a big jump in 2026.
The Blue Devils' defensive front will be overtaken by newcomers, which paves the way for a player like Preston, who has been in the program for a few years now, to take advantage. Diaz has spoken on his confidence with the defensive line group throughout the offseason.
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
"We're excited about what we're bringing back," Diaz said this 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 Blue Devils have many intriguing pieces on the D-line, making for a lot of intrigue heading into the year. In addition to Watson, guys such as Tyshon Reed, Bryce Davis , and Kevin O'Connor show the depth of a unit that could be extremely productive in the ACC next season.
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
Diaz is going to look once again to have a very effective pass rush to lead his defense in 2026. Watson likely will not be one of the stars to lead the way, but he has a chance to carve out a role.
Young guys with tons of intrigue, like Davis and former 4-star recruit Bariate Kara, will be looking to take some heavy snaps next season. Davis is actually the highest-rated Duke football recruit in the history of the program, according to 247Sports.
Dec 6, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils defensive back Caleb Weaver (3) celebrates with teammates after making a interception in the fourth quarter during the ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
The 2025 season was a bit of a letdown in terms of how dominant the Blue Devils were supposed to be on the defensive side of the ball. This wasn't solely due to the front seven; Duke's secondary was fairly disappointing as well throughout the season.
However, Diaz has the pieces and the defensive mind to get back to an elite pass-rushing club in 2026. Watson is a guy to pay attention to as summer camp rolls along and roles start to get identified for the future.
Nov 30, 2024; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils defensive tackle Preston Watson (95) tries to elude Wake Forest Demon Deacons offensive lineman Erik Russell (72) during the first half at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Once again, Watson will probably have some work to do to work his way up the depth chart. Guys like Davis, Reed, Kara, and O'Connor all boast tons of talent and upside, but Watson has been a complementary piece for the last couple of seasons.
I don't expect Watson to make some major leap as a junior in Durham, but the framework is in place for the lineman to at least progress and see more time on the field than he has been accustomed to throughout his collegiate career so far.
Nov 8, 2025; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz on the field before the start of the game against the UConn Huskies at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images
No. 30 WR Jaivon Solomon | No. 29 RB CJ Campbell | No. 28 QB Dan Mahan
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/duke as Duke Football 2026 Top 30 Players: No. 27 .
