Talented Notre Dame pass rusher lands inside the top ten of best Irish players heading into the 2024 college football season

Continuing the theme of defense for Notre Dame on the top 20 player countdown, newcomer EDGE RJ Oben comes in at No. 9 on the list. This is the highest a transfer portal addition has been on the list thus far who was acquired this offseason. Oben, who is the son of former NFL offensive lineman Roman Oben, comes from the Duke Blue Devils with some high expectations.

His son, an extremely talented football player in his own right, comes to Notre Dame with his final year of eligibility after spending five years with the Duke Blue Devils. In the 50 games he played, the talented pass rusher was able to collect 67 total tackles, 20 tackles for loss, and 14.5 sacks. Oben also recorded an interception and forced five fumbles.

It was a slight surprise when Oben decided to return for the 2024 season, choosing to bypass the 2024 NFL Draft. Grades did fluctuate for Oben a bit heading into this past cycle. There were some NFL scouts who carried mid round grades on the 6’ 3 ⅛”, 260-pound pass rusher. While others had closer to late round grades.

With a need for a consistent outside pass rush for the Irish in 2024, a lot is going to be expected of Oben. He came back to raise his draft stock and win football games, both of which should be attainable this fall.

If you missed any of the previous lists, it began with a breakout of 16-20, followed by 15-11. Now firmly in the top ten, there will be a daily breakdown of each Notre Dame player who made the list every day. Tomorrow, it will continue with the No. 8 player on the list. Will the list continue with the defensive theme or will we get more offensive flavor? Make sure to tune back in tomorrow.