Jason Onye Pushed Himself in Offseason, Notre Dame Set to Reap Rewards
Spring football is always a time for players to reset.
Players who struggled in the fall receive a chance to build confidence and get momentum back on their side. Others find themselves in a position to compete for a starting job.
Then you have players like Jason Onye.
The junior defensive lineman played in one game last year and recorded two tackles in the 44-0 win over Boston College in the home finale after not seeing action as a freshman.
Onye entered his Notre Dame career behind the eight-ball as he had only played two high school seasons and didn’t get to play his senior year (COVID), which only hindered his development. Now, it’s not as if Onye was expected to earn time as a freshman and 2023 was always expected to be his make-or-break year.
Well, Onye had a big spring where he was the topic of several on or off the record conversations and the 6-foot-4, 294-pounder has maintained that momentum into fall camp.
“I've been trying to focus on myself, trying to pick up where I left off,” Onye stated. “Just want to make sure my body's right. Like my conditioning is good. My technique. I’ve been meeting with Coach (Al) Washington to see what else I have to do to progress and continue to, hopefully, make a contribution this year on the field.”
It doesn’t take long to see Onye was motivated by not playing much last year and while some might have transferred or pouted, the Rhode Island native went to work. Onye has added great weight due to a strict meal plan filled with good calories, but he made to meet one-on-one with Washington on a consistent basis.
“We meet very frequently,” explained Onye. “I would say we meet the most out of the whole entire team, which we do a lot. We really appreciate those meetings. Whether it’s group meetings or individual meetings, we just go over, like technique, like plays, install — make sure we're ahead of it, making sure we’re ahead of the flips, so that when we get to the field, we play fast.”
Washington hasn’t been afraid to challenge his players in the offseason with watching more and more film. Onye is just one example, but it could be the example if he continues to make positive strides.
“He’s one of those guys that from a year ago to now, for me, has made the biggest jump,” Washington explained. “It had everything to do with a really good mindset. I think last year he was frustrated he wasn’t playing and he took all of that and put it into work.
“He’s invested a lot more time and I think it’s paying off. And I think he’s spending a lot more time watching football. These guys love football, which is awesome. If you give them a project to watch some NFL tape, we put some clips together, you’ll be amazed by how much you improve watching the best examples of your job being done. I think that’s a big piece of it. He’s matured, but he’s had a helluva jump.
The meetings and film study have paid off as Onye is processing the mental side quicker, which has allowed him to play faster and simply find a comfort level on the field.
“I would say that I'm one of the fastest guys on the D-line, but as far as knowing what your responsibility is and knowing what your assignment is - I would say earlier on, I would not know,” Onye said. “I'd be slow, but now that I know my stuff, it’s easier to play fast, to play quick.
“Physically, I would say improving my upper-body strength. I've been able to work with Coach (Matt) Balis during this offseason, to get stronger in the upper body, so I can work those double-teams more and all that stuff.”
Notre Dame’s defensive line will look different in 2023 as Isaiah Foskey and the Ademilola twins are gone after years of holding down the trenches.
Senior vyper Jordan Botehlo will be counted on to apply pressure from the outside as he takes Foskey’s place. If Botelho can find his way to the quarterback, it will make the life much easier for Onye and the interior of the defensive line.
And through the first week of practice, Onye has confidence Botelho can deliver.
“When I first got here, scary, dude,” stated Onye. “We were locker neighbors, mind you. And I was here in the summer and he would just not talk. I was scared of him. Like the scary Hawaii guy in the meetings, but now he's my boy. We hang out all the time. I love Jordan. He's a really good dude. And he's a beast.
“That's the main thing. When I see JB going off, I want to go hard. If JB is going to go hard, I'm going to go hard. That’s one thing about our defensive line, you have a bunch of close guys who go hard, and it makes you want to go harder for them. So, I’m excited.”
It’s an example of the culture Marcus Freeman wants to create as players who don’t even play the same position can consistently push each other to be better. The competitive culture has been embraced in the Washington’s room and Onye expects Notre Dame’s defensive line to surprise folks this season.
“I'm looking forward to us being the best defensive line in the country,” said Onye. “I feel like we worked the hardest, as far as meetings, as far as practice with the O-line and going back and forth at it. So many people don't know what to expect from the D-line this year, but I'm telling you guys that we are expecting and hoping to be one of the best units in the country.”
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