Coach | 2021 DE Jason Onye Has What Colleges Are Looking For

Rhode Island may be the smallest state in the Union, but the state’s top high school football program has produced some big-time football players in recent years.

Defensive end Kwity Paye signed with Michigan in the Class of 2017 out of Bishop Hendricken High School and two years later, offensive lineman Xavier Truss signed with Georgia.

2021 defensive end Jason Onye‍ is the next major prospect from the school in Warwick that has claimed 14 state titles.

According to Bishop Hendricken head coach Keith Croft, the success of Paye and Truss helped Onye with exposure.

“I think us producing Kwity at Michigan and Xavier at Georgia has helped a lot,” Croft says. “His measureables are right where you want him to be when you’re looking at a pass-rusher at the next level. Let’s be honest, there just aren’t a lot of them around.”

The 6-foot-5, 245-pounder has earned offers from schools like Notre Dame, Penn State, Michigan, Tennessee, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Kentucky, Arizona, Syracuse, Virginia, Vanderbilt and Duke among others.

“We always talk to him about potential and things like that and now that colleges are starting to recognize it, it’s led to him to apply himself even more in the academic area, the weight room and being more of a student of the game with the film room,” says Croft.

“He’s pretty new to football. He’s only a few years in. The family is new to football and new to this whole recruiting thing. He’s kind of gone into this blind and it’s happened so fast that I don’t think he’s had a chance to process it much. He does a winter sport and a spring sport, so he’s kept himself so busy that he really hasn’t had a chance to.”

All of the attention of the recruiting process certainly hasn’t changed Onye, according to his coach.

“He’s a great kid, great kid,” Croft says. “He’s very similar to Kwity. He’s good in school. Every kid on the team likes him. He fits in well. He’s a very high character kid. He’s just a real great kid.

“He’s one of those kids everyone on the team gets along with, whether it’s a starter or somebody who doesn’t play much. He’s very respectful of his coaches. He comes from a really good family. I just have very good things to say about him.”

Onye is set to visit Notre Dame on March 23rd and 24th. Croft spoke with assistants from the Irish after that trip was locked in and says, “They’re very excited to have him up, so we’ll see what happens.”

“I think it would be a great fit for him,” the coach says. “Obviously, that’s a decision him and his family will have to come to. I know they’ve taken a lot of visits to a lot of schools. He’s been really positive about a lot of the places he’s visited. How could you not be with the programs he’s visited?

“From my own experience, when I went out to Notre Dame about four years ago with Kwity for Irish Invasion, I got to see a lot of the stuff they’re doing behind the scenes for their athletes. It was really impressive to me. Based on what I’ve seen and knowing Notre Dame is a top-notch program, he really can’t go wrong with where he goes. He’s got some great opportunities.”