Notre Dame football has a good problem to have on the defensive line, and one that they need to unleash
Heading into the 2024 college football season, there were a few things that we felt were certainties about this Notre Dame team. One of them was the interior duo of Howard Cross and Rylie Mills, and how they were arguably one of the elite pairings in college football. Through three games, that duo has been […]
Heading into the 2024 college football season, there were a few things that we felt were certainties about this Notre Dame team. One of them was the interior duo of Howard Cross and Rylie Mills, and how they were arguably one of the elite pairings in college football. Through three games, that duo has been far from it.
Between Cross and Mills, those two have combined for 13 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and one sack in those three contests. All that backfield production has been provided by Cross, with Mills still waiting for his first tackle for loss or sack on the season. The inconsistency has been troubling to say the least.
If Notre Dame is going to reach their potential defensively this season, they will need those two to step up and perform closer to their 2023 levels. One positive for the Irish is that another interior defensive lineman is finally showing the flashes of dominance that could earn him increased reps moving forward.
Jason Onye has been a part of the rotation in recent seasons, but he looked like a man amongst boys on Saturday against the Purdue Boilermakers. During that contest, Onye ended the day with four total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and a deflected pass that led to an interception.
At 6-5 and 291 pounds, Onye has always looked the part. He’s long, smooth and powerful. The tools have always been there, but fans have been waiting for him to put it all together. We started seeing that on Saturday.
The flashes that are going to get most people excited are as a pass rusher. Onye is incredibly powerful, and when he gets his hands inside of an offensive lineman, the reps are pretty much over. Onye gained easy control and it led to a quarterback hurry and hit. Those flashes of impact are impressive.
It felt nonstop during the game against Purdue. Onye was routinely pushing the pocket, and finished at the quarterback several times. On the college level, that combination of length and explosiveness is a lot to handle. Having an interior presence in the passing game is a huge asset for an already excellent Irish defense.
One piece of Onye’s game that fans have been waiting for is consistency. That is especially true in the run game, which appeared a lot better on Saturday. Once again Onye’s combination of length and power was too much to handle at times.
Some of the biggest plays even came from Onye’s performance. That included the interception for freshman linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, which was deflected by big No. 47. He’ll get a quick nod on the stat sheet, but that was a tremendous play.
At worst, this is a game that could propel Onye to some increased reps. With Cross and Mills hopefully rounding into form, the interior defensive line could be a lot for offenses to handle. Improving that depth would be huge, especially if Gabriel Rubio is able to contribute later in the season once he returns from injury.
With Cross and Mills also underperforming relative to expectation, it isn’t unrealistic to think that Onye could challenge for more reps as he becomes a more efficient football player. Will he outright replace them in the rotation? No, and that shouldn’t be expected. But if he continues to play like he did Saturday, don’t be shocked if Onye becomes the defensive tackle everyone is talking about rather quickly.
