Tag: RJ Oben

Two former Blue Devils listed on CBS Sports’ top 100 college football players for 2024

CBS Sports released its top 100 college football players for the 2024 season on Monday, and while no current Blue Devils made the cut, two recent Duke players who transferred to Notre Dame appeared.

CBS Sports released its top 100 college football players ahead of the 2024 season, and while no Blue Devils made the cut, two former Duke players did.

Quarterback Riley Leonard and edge rusher R.J. Oben, who both left Durham for Notre Dame this offseason, appeared on the list. Oben came in first at 89th before Leonard at 98th.

Oben spent five seasons with the Blue Devils before he left to take his last year of eligibility in South Bend. He’s put up at least four sacks in each of the last three seasons, with 62 total tackles and 14 sacks across that time frame. His 27 pressures and 73.8 PFF pass-rush grade were the highest totals on the Duke team last season.

Leonard threw for 2,967 yards and 20 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2022, and he compiled 1,102 yards and three touchdowns during his junior year. After helping the Blue Devils win their first four games of the year, he suffered an ankle injury during a game against, coincidentally, the Fighting Irish in Week 5. He only threw 39 passes for the rest of the year.

The third-year quarterback still finished with a QBR of 72.2 for the 2023 season.

Notre Dame lands massive defensive commitment in transfer portal

Notre Dame continues to load up through the portal!

[autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag] hasn’t won as many games as Notre Dame football fans would like through his first two seasons but there is one place he has won big and repeatedly: the transfer portal.

After restocking the wide receiver group recently and landing a second quarterback from the ACC in as many years earlier in the week, Freeman and Notre Dame landed a big-time defensive commitment Wednesday.

Pass-rush specialist RJ Oben, previously of Duke, is now headed to Notre Dame.  He made the announcement on social media.

Oben is coming off a year where he was a major key on Duke’s solid defense.  He totaled five sacks, 17 tackles, six tackles for loss, and another six quarterback hurries this past season.

Oben will be key in replacing another transfer, Javantae Jean-Baptiste, who transferred from Ohio State before the 2023 season.

Oben stands 6-4, 260-pounds and figures to jump to the head of the depth chart at one defensive end position.  Inexperienced [autotag]Aidan Gobaira[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyson Ford[/autotag] also figure to play the position going forward.

As the defense loses some key pieces for 2024, adding Oben certainly lessens the blow to what was a very solid defensive line in 2023.