Notre Dame Signs DE Jason Onye
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have signed defensive end Jason Onye
JASON ONYE PROFILE
Hometown: Warwick, R.I.
High School: Bishop Hendricken
Height: 6-5
Weight: 245
IB Grade: 3.5 (Top 400 caliber player)
Upside Grade: 4.5
2019 Stats: 76 tackles, 15 sacks
Offers: Notre Dame, Michigan, Penn State, Tennessee, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, Boston College, Virginia, Kentucky, West Virginia, Duke, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, Arizona, Rutgers
Recruited By: Mike Elston
ESPN: 3-star
247Sports: 3-star
Rivals: 3-star
Composite: 3-star - No. 625 overall
FILM ANALYSIS
If this ranking was about current grade Onye would rank lower. He's played football for just two years, so his game and body needs a lot of work. The reason he ranks this high and earned a 4.0-star is his upside grade (see below). He has the natural tools of a much higher ranked recruit, and if he taps into his potential he'll be one of the steals of this recruiting class on either side of the ball.
Onye has a tremendous frame, and his power potential is outstanding. He has powerful hands, and when his technique is right he shows an impressive burst off the line. Onye is an aggressive player and a quality athlete for his size. I've been told that he's already around 260 pounds, and if he can get to 270 pounds he could really add value as a prospect.
The 6-5 end shows a top-notch burst off the edge, especially when he stays low out of his stance. With his long legs he can cover a lot of ground in a hurry, which helps him with his get off and also allows him to close extremely well on the quarterback. His open-field speed is impressive for his size, and he shows the ability to explode to the sideline to chase runners.
Onye's game and traits remind me a great deal of Adetokunbo Ogundeji at the same age, except Onye is stronger, thicker and a bit more explosive. He'll need work, but if he taps into his full potential he could be an impact power end in the Irish defense. The motion from Clark Lea's defense to Marcus Freeman's could actually be a big benefit for Onye, who has the frame/power/athleticism potential to be the ideal power end that can play on the edge or slide inside and play some over the guard and be disruptive.
Onye didn't start playing football until his sophomore season, but in year two he was at the point where he registered 76 tackles and 15 sacks.
NOTRE DAME FIT
Onye will need time to develop the necessary technique needed to thrive in the Irish defense. Improving his pad level, hand technique, block destruction and consistency are all musts.
What makes this such an important pickup is that he has an incredibly high ceiling. Onye projects to be a strongside end in the Irish defense, and a high-upside player was needed there in this class.
With his frame there is a chance he could eventually grow into an interior player, but right now he reminds me of a bigger version of current Irish standout Adetokunbo Ogundeji at the same age.
JOHN GARCIA, SI ALL-AMERICAN ON ONYE
"Notre Dame covets trenchmen who first check the measurable box and Onye does at 6-foot-5, north of 250 pounds. It offers potential inside-out game as a pass rusher, ideal in today's game, and that checks out on tape. He is very raw on the path to the passer, but the instincts and snap quickness compensate as sacks and TFLs at the prep level. We'd suspect the frame and functional play strength, especially while working on the interior, provides a glimpse at where he will spend most of his time in South Bend. It may take time but Onye could be a guard displacer before all is said and done."
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