Notre Dame defensive line gets surprise return after eligibility ruling

Justin Casterline/GettyImagesNotre Dame's Transfer Portal work might be done, but the Fighting Irish added another stud defender to the roster for 2026 through Jason Onye's official return on Tuesday.

Onye's eligibility was officially up after the 2025 season, though he made it clear he was petitioning the NCAA for a sixth year due to injury hardships. The defender and the rest of the team had been waiting for official word for several weeks, and now the wait is over.

Notre Dame secures the return of Jason Onye with NCAA waiver

The NCAA informed the 6-foot-5, 302-pound North Providence, R.I., product that his petition was successful, according to On3's Eric Hansen. Onye coming back means that…