Notre Dame will add valuable depth and experience to its defensive line in 2026 as Jason Onye’s petition for a sixth year of eligibility has been approved by the NCAA, according to multiple sources.
Eric Hansen of ON3 was first to report.
The NCAA has made it almost impossible not to gain eligibility in today’s college football world, which makes this a smart move by Notre Dame and Onye.
Onye appeared in 12 games for Notre Dame in 2025 and delivered his best statistical output to date. The 6-foot-5, 302-pound defensive tackle finished the season with 26 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks.
Beyond the numbers, Onye brings experience to a defensive front that values reliability and maturity. He has played in 31 career games for the Irish and has been a steady rotational contributor in the trenches.
The NCAA’s decision stems from Onye’s 2024 season, when he appeared in just five games before stepping away from the program to focus on his mental health. He returned to Notre Dame last winter but has kept his journey private.
In October, Onye briefly reflected on his path back and the influence of head coach Marcus Freeman.
“Coach Freeman does a great job talking about the bumpy road to better,” explained Onye in October. “Being able to acknowledge that in life, to get to the good things in life, you have to go through some downs and sacrifices, whether it's a missed time last year, whether it's not playing as well as I think I could play at the beginning of the season.
“I felt like I've just been able to listen to his messages with a whole different kind of mindset than I've had in the past. I've just listened to his messages, kind of applied that to my life, and just kept digging.”
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