Here Come the Irish: RJ Oben’s Journey from College Station to Mobile
For Notre Dame defensive lineman R.J. Oben, four-and-a-half months were spent in the weight room and on the field with one goal in mind: to win the College Football Playoff National Championship. But on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, when the game ended at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, it was the Ohio State Buckeyes who celebrated a 34-23 victory over Oben and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Ohio State players rejoiced, donning grey shirts that read “National Champs” in gold lettering, taking pictures with one another as the lights inside the stadium flashed red, Ohio State’s primary color. Reporters interviewed the team captains from Ohio State, holding their mics and cameras tightly on the crowded field.
The pinnacle event in college football is the College Football Playoff National Championship, and teams are required to begin their seasons in late-August with the goal of playing on the grand stage in early-January. After Oben was on the football field for 404 plays across 16 games during his 2024 season according to ProFootballFocus, he walked off the field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium with Ohio State’s fight song “Buckeye Battle Cry” sounding throughout the stadium.
While Notre Dame fell short in the end, Oben had aspirations of playing football in the National Football League, and attended the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. At the Senior Bowl, college football players practice and compete in front of scouts and coaches with the hopes of getting selected by a team in the NFL Draft.
Former Notre Dame defensive lineman RJ Oben makes a move to get past former LSU offensive lineman Emory Jones Jr. at the Senior Bowl at Hancock Whitney Stadium on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. Photo by Kelii Horvath/East Coast Gridiron.
With the week-long event taking place a week-and-a-half after the College Football National Championship, players from Ohio State did not attend the Senior Bowl to allow their bodies to rest. However, Oben and two of his Notre Dame teammates, Riley Leonard and Jack Kiser, attended the event and continued to strain their bodies.
“Our strength coaches and coach [Marcus] Freeman did a great job of taking care of everyone’s bodies late into the season,” Oben said. “I was feeling fresh coming into this and I feel like I have an advantage coming into this, playing my last game last Monday.”
While some players looked rusty in Mobile, Oben was sharp and had not taken a break from the conditioning required to excel in football. As a result, Oben was causing problems for the opposing team each day during practice, proving that he deserved a chance to play in the NFL despite losing to Ohio State.
“I feel like I was able to take advantage of my opportunities,” Oben said. “I’m still in football shape and have my instincts at the highest level, and I am just trying to show that this week.”
As a defensive player, Oben had the opportunity of playing for two head coaches who previously coached defense, aiding Oben throughout his career. Oben played for Mike Elko from 2022-2023 at Duke University and for Marcus Freeman in 2024 at the University of Notre Dame. Both coaches helped Oben get so close to his goal of playing football in the NFL.
“They pushed me to be the best version of myself everyday,” Oben said. “Both of those coaches stressed the details and improving my game each and every day, and I appreciate them for that.”
Oben was coached by current NFL coaches at the Senior Bowl and added their advice to his wealth of knowledge. His outstanding performance at the Senior Bowl was a well-received response to the loss in the College Football Playoff National Championship. Despite the physical demands of playing such a long season, Oben bounced back and made good impressions on the media and NFL personnel present throughout the week.
