Brown Well Aware What Bears Have with Walker Anchoring Defensive Line

CONWAY, Ark. — The obvious center of attention for Central Arkansas’ defensive line will once again be All-American David Walker. With good reason, according to coach Nathan Brown.

“You can’t start talking about the defensive line without talking about David Walker, and that’s across the country,” said Brown of his highly celebrated senior from Stuttgart, Ark. “He’s probably going to go down as the most decorated defensive lineman in UCA history, and we’ve had some highly talented individuals to play defensive line here.

“But I don’t know how many can honestly say they have the potential to be a three-time defensive player of the year in a conference, any conference. And probably a three-time consensus All-American. That’s pretty hard to do.”

Brown could have added at any level because not many players at any level could do that. There may have been a specialist or two along the way, but not enough to jump into instant memory.

Walker, a 6-2, 260-pounder, was a six-time All-American as a sophomore two years ago when he was named the Atlantic Sun (ASUN) Defensive Player of the Year. A year ago, he added three more All-America honors and was the United Athletic Conference (UAC) Defensive Player of the Year as well. Walker led the UAC In tackles for loss (18.0) and sacks (8.5) last season and broke the school single-game record with 6.5 tackles for loss against Tarleton State.

Walker is on the preseason Buck Buchanahn Award Watch List and the Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List.

“Everything that David has accomplished, and is going to accomplish, is well deserved,” said Brown. “You’re not going to meet a better young man. He is as respectful and humble as they come. He is, without a doubt, the leader of our team. He’s really taken that role on from his first two years when he was really a lead-by-example kind of guy. Year 2 kind of pushed a little more with the vocal side of it. And now he’s the full-on leader of this football team. And guys follow him.

“They follow him because of what he’s done, but also just the way he is. It’s easy to follow someone who does everything right, and David does a lot of things right.”

Walker is one of a long line of talented defensive end/linebackers to play for the Bears in the NCAA Division I era, including Jonathan Woodard, Larry Hart, Markell Carter and Jacob Ford, who were all NFL draftees.

“His pro potential is as big as anyone we’ve had,” said Brown. “He has a chance to be as highly rated a prospect, going into the 2025 NFL Draft, as anybody we have had, and that’s saying something because we’ve had guys like Robert Rochell, Tre Smith, Dezmin Lewis, George Odum. And he’s in the same cut and mold that those guys were.

“Not only is he a great pass rusher, and I think that’s where he kind of makes his mark, but he’s as good against the run as he is rushing the passer. Evidence of that is his tackles for loss, which may be even more impressive than his sack numbers. The numbers he’s put up in two years here of tackling ball carriers in the backfield is pretty phenomenal.”

Brown said Walker may be utilized in a number of ways for his final season.

“He’ll be at our bandit position. He’ll be on the edge rushing 80 percent of the time,” he said. “We’re going to put him in some positions to stand up because of his athletic ability. He’s 260 pounds but he’s a 4.5 40 (-yard dash) guy. We’ll drop him into coverage, we’ll put him in some situations where we may stand him up and blitz him in different gaps to get some different matchups.

“He’s mostly going to be where he was the first two years, pinning his ears back and putting pressure on the offensive backfield. But we’re going to be creative with David because he allows us to be. And he’s smart enough to allow us to do that.”

The Bears lost Walker’s counterpart on the other side in all-conference end Logan Jessup, who graduated after a stellar career at UCA.

“The question is obviously who is going to step up on the other side of him,’ said Brown. “We’ve had Logan Jessup there for the past three or four years, and you talk about a model of consistency. He was one of the greatest to ever play here, in my opinion, as well. We’re going to have to see guys like (sophomore) Buck Cobbs from Jacksonville, who has had moments with sacks or tackles for loss in 2023. A guy like (sophomore) Samuel Horton from Gadsden, Ala., who had some nice moments last year as an edge guy.

“(Junior) Baryle Davenport (Chickasaw, Ala.) is going into Year 4 with us. He has a huge upside, he’s just been plugged behind David and Logan, and it’s hard to play behind those guys. So those are some edge guys who are going to have to step up and make an impact. Also (sophomore) Duncan Parham, who plays that edge spot, outside linebacker position like David. He’s a third-year player out of Norman, Okla., who needs to take a big step forward. He’s had a good offseason in the spring.

“Freshman Carmilo Allen from Fordyce. He’s as physically gifted an edge guy as we have brought in. He’s 6-3, 245 pounds and moves with light feet. We’ll see how physical he is once practice starts, but I think he’s a guy who will travel and will have an opportunity for a role this season. We have to have guys step up so you can’t just key on David Walker. And those guys will get some single coverage opportunities because Walker is on the other side, and we have to be able to take advantage of those one-on-ones.”

The Bears must replace two inside players in Stephon McGlaun and Jace McCoy.

“Inside we start with a couple of guys. Both have played a lot for us, the production hasn’t necessarily been there numbers-wise. But they’ve played a lot of snaps,” said Brown. “(Senior) Javeon Jones, 6-3, 290, started games for us last year. He’s battled shoulder injuries over the course of his two years with us but man, he’s such a warrior, so consistent, in the right place at the right time. Just a huge upside, and I think he’s poised to have his most productive year yet.

“Bradley Clark from Pine Bluff, 6-2, 320 pounds, his physical ability is as good as about anybody I’ve coached on the interior D-line. He’s a kid that when he goes, when he’s in the right mindset, he’s nearly unblockable. (Sophomore) Kyion Williams, who missed last season. We signed him last December with a knee injury. He’s a guy with a linebacker background who has grown into a defensive lineman. You could see him play three different positions on our line. He’s got great pass-rushing ability, really twitchy. I could see him play inside and outside. I’m expecting a huge year out of him.

“Noah Tice, 6-2, 290 pounds out of Mississippi, a big body who has had a great offseason. (Junior) John Jackson, we signed in December, another big body (6-1, 305), very mature, no-nonsense guy who gets up there and gets to work. A late signee that I’m very excited about is Kendarius Clark, who transferred in from a lateral FCS school and he was their best defensive lineman. He’s going to come in and compete for a starting job. He has the production in the past as an all-conference caliber player at his previous school. He just goes to work. You can see it in his eyes, he has what you’re looking for in a defensive lineman.”

Brown also noted a pair of freshman who could figure in the mix.

“Two freshmen we brought in that I’m excited about are Reid Jones out of Tulsa and Jaden Moore out of West Feleciana High School in St. Francisville, La. Those two guys are young, talented freshmen and one of them is going to have to travel and play some sort of role. You don’t want them to play huge as true freshmen, but when they show us what they can do, their roles could grow. But one of them is going to have to be ready to give us some depth this year, and both of them have the size to do that.”

Information from UCA Sports is included in this story.