With things like medical hardships and redshirt seasons no longer a thing, Notre Dame football defensive lineman Jason Onye is an anomaly. When he takes the field in 2026, he’ll be a sixth-year senior. He’ll also be one of the better defenders on a Fighting Irish defense expected to be one of the best in the country.
The NCAA Division I cabinet officially approved age-based eligibility on Wednesday, and it will take effect when the new academic year begins on July 1. Division I athletes, regardless of sport, will have up to five years of eligibility if they enroll in college no later than the academic year after their 19th birthday. While Onye took advantage of a medical redshirt waiver in 2024, he seemingly understands why the NCAA is doing away with that kind of waiver. Part of the problem with it is how slowly the system moved.
“For lack of a better word, just sitting like a duck,” Onye said earlier this spring. “I was training with Coach (Loren) Landow, expecting worst-case scenario, I’ll have to go declare for the draft.” The defensive tackle said that then Notre Dame would hear an optimistic update, like the NCAA was planning to review his waiver “tomorrow,” and then the day would come and go without a review.
While waiting to hear whether he would get his sixth year was excruciating, the real issue was constantly telling his teammates he simply didn’t know whether he would be back. There was also the issue of the Irish going out to recruit transfer defensive tackles, planning for a future in which Onye might not be part of it in 2026.
Jason Onye’s sixth year makes Notre Dame football defender a rare eligibility case
“It was kind of awkward just being in the locker room,” he added as he sat out spring practice due to injury, “not knowing whether I'm going to be with this team again or whether I'm not. I’m kind of like the question mark in the room, the elephant in the room.”
That’s the interesting thing about all of this. While at some point, a player who misses a season or two because of injury or illness will find the lack of any sort of waiver unfair, Jason Onye seems to believe that the 5-for-5 eligibility change is for the better. At least that player will now know exactly when his college career ends.
In late January, Onye got word that he got his waiver. He’ll be back on the field for 2026. And in the process, the Notre Dame defensive tackle will be one of a dying breed. He’ll be making a kind of history, and he understands that: “All in all, I’m blessed to be back here,” he said. “I love it here. I don’t take it for granted.”
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