Normally before a player commits to a school, they visit their university of choice usually at least once and have the chance to feel it out and see if the given school is the place for them. More often than not, most high-profile athletes go on visits to several schools they are interested in.
This was not the case for Notre Dame 2021 defensive end commit Jason Onye and most athletes in his class. COVID-19 has made many things difficult in the world and while college football recruiting does not rank highly on the scale of importance, it does matter.
Early this week, Onye and his family had the chance to finally visit Notre Dame all the way from Warwick, R.I., and they were blown away.
“It was great. South Bend, the city itself, exceeded all of my expectations,” Onye said. “Everyone was awesome to me; the community base is really nice.”
The 6-5, 248-pounder still could not have the full visit he wanted due to NCAA restrictions, but he made the most of what he could see on the Notre Dame campus.
“I got to see the Basilica, the Grotto and the new football facility as well, but I couldn’t go in because of the restrictions,” Onye explained.
In many ways it was closure for the Rhode Island star, knowing that Notre Dame was everything the staff told him it would be, and more.
“It really was awesome to be able to see everything in person and see South Bend,” the three-star defensive end said.
The Onye family ended their visit with lunch at Eddy Street Commons, before packing up and heading back to Rhode Island. Ideally, Onye would be able to visit Notre Dame again before he enrolls, but it is impossible to tell what will happen with visits being opened back up.
The next time Onye is in South Bend very well could be when he moves into his dorm and starts his career as a Notre Dame football player next summer.
Rivals ranks the Bishop Hendricken School standout as a three-star prospect and the nation’s No. 47 strong-side defensive end.
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