SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Al Washington’s own transformative journey — dropping 55 pounds since last July — has been seismic for him in many regards.
And yet it’s a clear second in the Notre Dame defensive line coach’s mind, to the most impactful series of events that’s touched his soul in the past year.
To Jason Onye’s re-emergence.
Not just from a football standpoint, the grad senior’s 2024 season being truncated in late September by a leave of absence to put full attention on his mental health. But from how Notre Dame rallied around the now 6-foot-5, 308-pound repatriated interior defensive lineman in his darkest days and all the way back to a thunderous start to spring football.
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“It’s one that's changed me as a person,” Washington said Wednesday after Notre Dame’s fourth of 15 practices this spring. “I can't even express how proud I am of that kid.
“And I think a lot of places I've been, a lot of places talk about, ‘Hey, you know, we're family. We’re going to do this and that.’ I think how Jason has evolved is a reflection of Notre Dame. It’s a holistic approach, and they really care.
“And so, I'm tremendously proud of him, and I'm excited to see him continue to grow. But, man, he's done a phenomenal job, and it's just a testament to Notre Dame, in my opinion, like this place really does care about the people that walk around campus.”
And Onye isn’t just walking around anymore. He’s the best version of himself on the football field, good enough to evolve into a potential starter in the position group that urgently needs a good one — entering spring with the most unknowns and doubts about what the interor defensive line might look like come the Aug. 31 opener at Miami.
When he walked away after a 31-24 win over Louisville, in game 5 of a 14-2 season on Sept. 28 at Notre Dame Stadium, Onye was a key rotational player behind star defensive tackle Rylie Mills with the flexibility to rotate in for All-America nose guard Howard Cross III.
In his five games, Onye had seven tackles, including 1.5 sacks, with a pass breakup. In the Louisville game, he didn’t accrue any tackles and his only statistical souvenir was a QB hurry of Louisville’s Tyler Shough in the second quarter that resulted in an incomplete first-down pass.
Irish head coach Marcus Freeman left the door open, once it became clear Onye would not return from the ensuing bye week for the Oct. 12 home matchup with Stanford. Or the next. Or the next.
“Just engage, man,” Washington said of the approach he and the rest of the coaching staff took with Onye. “Help him. Be supportive. Be understanding. Be empathetic, all of that. So, he's got a great family, and it's a credit to Notre Dame. And credit to the young man.”
And now a bigger, faster Onye is on a trajectory to be at or near the top of the depth chart, along with playoff starter Gabe Rubio, 2024 rotational player Donovan Hinish and perhaps the two transfers as well — grad senior Jared Dawson from Louisville and junior Elijah Hughes from USC.
“Yeah, high opinion of them,” Washington said of the D-line transfers. “Very, very mature. Obviously, they're older, but I think the thing that I appreciate is their willingness to learn. Part of the challenges of being a transfer is you have to be willing to adapt.
“You’ve got to be willing to learn a new system, new nomenclature, new terms, new techniques. And some people could rebuff it. I think they have approached it like, ‘OK, I want to learn. I see the success Rylie [Mills] and Howard [Cross III] had. I want to learn and evolve.’ So, it's been great, and I think they're talented too. They’re going to help us.”
He knows Onye will.
" I think it's the most he's ever weighed, but it's good weight, and I think it's helped him. I think he's stronger at the point of contact. It's almost like he's faster, to be honest with you. I credit [director of football performance Loren] Landow and [associate director of sports nutrition] Alexa Appelman. What they do from a nutrition standpoint is next level.
“Jason is different, and since I got here, I think he's grown fundamentally. I think he's grown in maturity, like in terms of his knowledge of the game, because when I got he was pretty young. But man, I have a high expectation for him. So yes, to answer your question, he's doing a phenomenal job this spring, and he left on a high note. He's picking back up on a high note.”
As for Washington’s personal transformation, it continues and it’s intentional.
“It's been one of the things that after the ’23 season, I just said to myself, like, ‘You're asking the guys I'm coaching to give everything they’ve got.’” he said. “And so, I just felt like I wasn't the best version of me, and we’re all chasing that. And I'm not trying to be on the soapbox at all.
“I'm just telling you my mindset. I was like, ‘Yo, I have to. I gotta. I can't cut corners. I can't do things that erode my ability to lead at the highest level I can.’ And I felt like that was an area I could obviously adjust. So, that's the whole reason for it.”
Chris Ash’s influence
The overriding messaging from and about new defensive coordinator Chris Ash succeeding Al Golden centers on a concerted effort by Ash to keep largely intact the culture, the scheme and the philosophy behind the 2024 Broyles Award winner’s success.
And ND’s first four spring practices, by all accounts, have stayed true to that in action as well. But some of the nuanced differences are also starting to emerge. One that the Irish defensive ends were talking about Wednesday in interviews with the media was how they have more freedom in how they approach pass rushing.
“So coach Ash, obviously, his reputation, his experience, speaks for itself," Washington said. "But one of the things I think he's done a good job of is complementing what Al Golden has established. But now he's trying to find ways to enhance — like we all do.
“And one of the things that when you look at us, I think we have some athleticism on the edge. And I think he's trying to find ways to unlock them. You think about, like [Las Vegas Raiders defensive end] Maxx Crosby, guys he's been around, different things that can enhance the production of a Jordan Botelho by giving them a little more freedom, so to speak. And nothing crazy, but it's certainly something I've learned.
“And, hell, I'm into that as well, because not every player is the same. You may have a player that has a knack for whatever, you want to play to that. I think that's the key — play to the strengths of who you have, with keeping your core intact.
"Every coach I've been around, I’ve learned from. I love it, and so I'm very appreciative of that contribution and something that will help my career.”
To what end, for Burnham?
Josh Burnham, a quarterback and a do-everything on defense in high school, came to Notre Dame as an elite linebacker recruit. He quickly moved to vyper end and then eventually to field end last spring — seemingly — for good. Until injuries diluted the vyper position in September, and he spent most of the season there as the starter.
In 14 games, with two missed because of injury in September, Burnham recorded 30 tackles, with two sacks. His 6.5 tackles for loss were tied for second on the team behind Mills. He also had three QB hurries, a pass breakup, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble.
So where will the 6-foot-4, 249-pound senior-to-be line up when all the vypers are projected to be healthy in the fall?
“Both,” Washington said of the vyper and field end spots. “Even on the inside, guys are getting experience at both [interior positions]. Lessons learned from last year. You think about last year. It’s an uncertain future. Our guys are smart. That's the thing, being at this school. So yeah, he can do both, and he's done both.
"Because the best player you want to put on the field. You don’t want to be limited, because so-and-so is not a ‘fill in the blank.’”
Brenan Vernon check-in
Another player who’s bounced around a bit position-wise is junior Brenan Vernon, a vaunted defensive end recruit, who’s now a defensive tackle. And at 6-6, 293 — after starting out last season at 6-5, 262 — he has the right body for it.
Now, can he move up the depth chart? Vernon in two seasons has played a total of 17 snaps with two career tackles.
“Brenan has really worked on and off the field, and grown and physically in showing his body,” Washington said. “So, I'm expecting to see him continue to compete, continue to prepare and continue to enhance his techniques and things like that. And I think he's off to a good start.”
Sizing up Sevillano
At 341 pounds, sophomore nose guard Sean Sevillano Jr., on a 6-2 frame, edged out sophomore and 6-7 offensive tackle Guerby Lambert by seven pounds as the Irish player who bring the most body mass to the equation on the ND spring roster.
“Is he 341?” Washington bounced back at a media question about Sevillano’s spring.
That's what he was listed at, came the reply.
“He better not be right now [laughing],” Washington said. “Nah, I mean, listen, man, Sean he is a different body type. He's tough to move. I mean, last year, I think he was scout team Player of the Year, because you look over on scout team, the coaches are praising him.
“[O-line] coach [Joe] Rudolph is coming over. Coach Freeman is like, ‘Man, Sean.’ So, yeah, I’ve got a high expectation. And so, his role is, obviously, in that two-gap role. He's strong. He's really smart. And he's keeping his weight — I think more so with him, it's just his functionality, his mass. Macros, all of that stuff.
“I don’t know all that. But that's where he's focused on right now. He's progressed. He's got good feet. And so, as time goes, he’s going to make plays. He's going to make plays because of that.”
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