Jason Onye injury update: Marcus Freeman reveals Notre Dame defensive tackle had surgery on hand

Notre Dame defensive lineman Jason Onye received an additional year of eligibility from the NCAA this winter due to injuries during his career. Unfortunately, those injuries have struck again.

Onye reportedly underwent surgery to repair an injury on his right hand, according to a report from On3’s Tyler Horka. Coach Marcus Freeman revealed the news during a team press conference.

Per Horka, “the only thing in jeopardy would be missing the rest of spring.” That’s the good news on the injury.

Still, it’s a bit of a setback for Onye, who is looking to make the most of his final season in South Bend. Onye is coming off a 2025 campaign in which he played in all 12 games and made nine starts.

During that action, Onye logged 26 tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks and a pass breakup. He recorded a season-high seven tackles in a game against Syracuse.

For Onye, it’s now been five years at Notre Dame. The 6-foot-5, 295-pound lineman has combined to make 52 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks, two pass breakups and two passes defended during that time.

CJ Carr looking to take next step

While Notre Dame will certainly be hoping Jason Onye can take a step forward in his final season, quarterback CJ Carr doing so is an absolute must. He’s going into Year 2 being the starter at the position.

Carr completed 66.6% of his passes for 2,741 yards and 24 touchdowns, to six interceptions, as he became the starter. He seemed to progress as the year went along, as well, which helps fuel optimism about a potential leap forward in 2026.

While looking at what could lie ahead for Carr, Freeman praised the former touted recruit’s preparation and his pedigree as the grandson of former Michigan national championship-winning coach Lloyd Carr. But Freeman also called Carr a “perfectionist,” which is why he thinks there’s more potential to unlock.

“I would say the preparation, but I can’t with him,” Freeman told On3’s J.D. PicKell on The Hard Count. “He’s prepared from the moment he stepped on campus like he’s been the starter. It’s just a reflection of the way he was raised. Obviously, a coach’s kid, a coach’s grandson. He prepares tremendously. The thing that you’re seeing him do now is to truly let his leadership shine. He’s making those guys around him better. You see him getting the wideouts and the tight ends and the running backs saying, ‘We’re going to throw on Saturdays at this time and you have to be there. And we’re going to watch film at this time. You have to be there.’

“He’s always looking for ways to improve. That’s the one thing you appreciate about CJ Carr is, there is no finish line for him. That’s what I’m excited to see. It’s never going to be perfect. How do you handle the ups and downs of spring ball, of every practice? Because he’s a perfectionist. He wants to win everything he does. You know that’s never going to happen in spring. So I’m excited to watch the way he leads our offense each day and every rep he gets.”

On3’s Nick Schultz also contributed to this report.