Onye Looking For Bigger Role in 2024
Redshirt junior defensive tackle, Jason Onye, has seen his playing time increase over the past two years, slotting in at second string at the "3-Tech" position. Onye's roll will be a support roll again as he backs up senior, Rylie Mills, but the Warwick, R.I. native is hoping for a bigger role this season.
Onye met with the media after Wednesday's practice to talk about his development, and what his goals are for this season. Here is a transcript of his comments on Wednesday.
Are you excited to have Gabe Rubio back out here?
Onye: Yes, sir. Excited.
You've been in touch with him, just keeping his spirits up?
Onye: We're roommates, so he's back in the house now, so it's cool.
What's he mean to the group when he's around?
Onye: Well, for me personally, he's like my best friend on the D-line, but other than that, he's a very good guy. He's a great teacher. While he was here, he was teaching Devan (Houstan) and Armel (Mukam) how to use their feet inside rails. He teaches me a bunch of stuff. He's heavy, he's powerful. So just having a guy like that around, just you can't... really need him. So I'm happy to see him back around giving us advice, helping us, giving us pointers, so that's good.
Jason, what's your focus this spring? What are the areas that you're trying to improve the most?
Onye: My focus this spring is just taking off and improving on the little things that I just didn't do well last year, but it was just like, get off right now. Mainly get off. I feel like I'm a very fast individual, but on the field, sometimes as I saw last year, I would think too much...get off the ball a little slow. Because right now, after practice, I'm getting in get offs, making sure I'm the first one off the ball every rep. Competing with Donnie (Dominic Hinish), he's a fast, pushy kid, so me and him go at it.
Is that just repetition or are you going back and watching yourself on film or how do you approach?
Onye: A lot of film study. Coach Wash (Washington) does a great job sending me clips from throughout the season, from game one Navy to the last game, the last regular season game, Stanford. And me just seeing how I'm improving, or just things I just didn't do well, and me being able to see videos of me from past to know what I can improve this season, so those mistakes don't show up on tape this year.
The last one from me and it's the other side of the ball and you guys are limited, what are you seeing out some of the offensive linemen right now?
Onye: Gritty, Billy (Schrauth), Ashton (Craig), they're looking really good...bunch of big guys. I feel like they're bigger now, stronger. They're giving us a bunch of, they're giving us a good work. We're going at it, making each other better, sharpening iron, so it's been a good spring so far, these two practices.
Is Ashton at this point almost seem like a veteran center, the way he conducts himself?
Onye: Yeah, actually he's very mature. The way he makes all the calls you always hear. I joke around with him, me and Ashton are really, really close. I joke around with him about how much he's just growing from when he first started behind Zeke (Correll), and now he's over there commanding everyone. So just interesting to see his development, too.
Jason do they cross-train at all you inside with defensive tackle and nose tackle, you especially in the spring, or is it something where you try to play the position?
Onye: Well, I would say I get cross-trained on third down, you can see me playing nose, but first and second down I mainly tackle with Rylie, so that's mainly what it is right now.
Jason, how would you describe the chemistry of the defensive line at this moment?
Onye: We're really close. We're really close. I would say even having Gabe back now makes it even better. I would say since I've been here, just the biggest room we've had, the deepest, I would say. We have a bunch of new freshmen in, a bunch of sophomores, a bunch of older guys, 5th-years with Rylie, transfers, RJ (Oben). We're just a bunch of close guys who've been here for a while, and we're just developing together and hoping to get better together to reach our goals for this season.
Talk about some of the things you need to do to improve, How do you put yourself in a position where you're the first guy off the bench on the interior defensive line?
Onye: I would just say every day, just putting in every day, meeting with Coach Wash, or just watching film, being...critiquing myself, being my biggest critic. Being able to look at film and being able to say, "okay, made a play here, but what little thing, was my foot placement right? Are my hands right?” Just being very, very critical about myself and what I'm doing to make sure that those little nuances don't show up in a game when it's the biggest time...all eyes are on you. So by doing that little stuff, and checking in with Coach Wash, making sure that we're on the same page, I just feel like it's going to elevate my game to another level to make me that guy.
Last year was the first time that you had been in the mix. Was it more like, "Hey, I'm hoping that I can do the things I needed to do in order to play," whereas now you're a lot more confident in your ability to do those things?
Onye: Exactly. It's just like I said before, just the fact that I'm just trying to think less. Just being able to, now I believe in myself, that I can go on the field and make those plays and do all those things. And the plays that I missed last season, I feel like, "okay, why did I miss them?" I was probably in my head too much, so now I just have the full confidence, the full desire to go out there and do it. So I'm excited for the season, and working, and all the practices before that to get there.
When you're at your best, when it's one of your best reps, what's Jason on look like when that happens?
Onye: I would say fast and furious. That's the best way to put it. I'm saying I'm going straight through you. I feel like I'm a strong, fast guy. To be able to use speed and my power to just go straight through you, drive you as a power rush, speed rush, no matter what it is. I just feel like when I'm at my best, I'm fast and physical.
You mentioned Billy (Schrauth) earlier. What are some of the things you've seen the most out of his game at the start of Spring?
Onye: I would just say, just confidence, too. I would say he's way more confident. He knows, we're big, powerful guys, so I feel like he knows, last season for example, he'd be more keen to not just jump set me, but now, no matter, regardless if I'm a three-tech or two-eye, he's going to be out there. Power versus power. He's up there to have the confidence to know that he trusts his jump set, he trusts his technique, and I'm just like, “that's good” because when you go against some people on Saturdays, they're doing what they're doing and you're working off of them. So now just being able to go against Billy, he's confident in what he's confident in, going against some really good strong guy. Everyday, it just makes me better.