Ryan Silverfield's first fall camp as the Arkansas Razorbacks football head coach is in full swing, and it's giving Hogs fans their first extended glimpse at what the team could look like during the 2026 college football season. Several position battles are unfolding across the Razorbacks' depth chart, including an underrated competition on the interior of the Hogs' defensive line.
Fifth-year senior David Oke and USC transfer Carlon Jones appear to be two of the leading candidates for snaps at defensive tackle and nose tackle, and both have drawn attention through the first six practices of fall camp. For Oke, earning a major role would be the culmination of an arduous, injury-filled journey with the Hogs.
David Oke fighting for starting role on Arkansas' Defensive Line
When David Oke transferred to the University of Arkansas from Abilene Christian in 2025, hopes were high for the Lagos, Nigeria, native. In his junior year for the Wildcats, Oke tallied 63 tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss while starting all 14 games; however, almost immediately after transferring to the Razorbacks, he ran into a string of unfortunate injuries.
During 2025 spring practice, Oke battled an undisclosed injury that limited his participation. Then, during fall camp, he suffered a knee injury that Sam Pittman initially suggested could sideline him for only one or two games.
Instead, the knee problem lingered. Oke missed Arkansas' first two games before appearing against Ole Miss, Memphis and Notre Dame, but the Sept. 27 loss to the Fighting Irish was ultimately his final appearance of the season. He finished 2025 with four tackles and one tackle for loss across three games, and by late October, Bobby Petrino said he did not expect Oke to return that year.
The only bright side was that Oke redshirted, preserving one final season of college eligibility in Fayetteville. Now, Oke seems ready to redefine his Razorback legacy.
After Arkansas' sixth fall practice, Oke described himself as a “way better” player than he was a year ago and reflected on the toll of his lost season. “By the grace of God, I'm able to come back for another year and do what I want to do,” Oke said.
David Oke didn’t learn football until high school when he moved from Nigeria to Texas, and he has some good stories 😂
— Hogs Plus (@HogsPlus) February 4, 2025
🎥 Meet defensive lineman David Oke (@DavidOke98) in today’s episode of In Studio with Tera, now on Hogs Plus 🐗 pic.twitter.com/eY1NqZp1tA
Although Carlon Jones has also impressed during fall camp, Arkansas defensive line coach Landius Wilkerson has said he wants to build a rotation of eight to 10 players up front. That means both players should have plenty of opportunities to earn meaningful snaps when the Razorbacks kick off against North Alabama on Sept. 5.
David Oke (6-foot-2, 298-pounds) showed flashes of explosiveness for Abilene Christian in 2024, and the Wildcats regularly used his first-step quickness and lateral movement to disrupt the run game and generate pressure with stunts up front.
While Oke lacked some of that explosiveness in his limited appearances for the Hogs last season, his up-and-down play was understandable for a player whose knee never seemed to be fully healthy. If he can stay on the field in 2026, the Razorbacks should finally get a chance to see the disruptive interior defender they thought they were signing during the final days of the Sam Pittman era.
After David Oke lost nearly his entire first Arkansas season to injuries, the fifth-year senior finally has an opportunity to finish his collegiate career with a true comeback story. And if the Abilene Christian version of Oke arrives in Fayetteville this fall, Silverfield's first defense will be much better for it.
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