C.J. Onyechi is in position to have a breakout season at Colorado State.
The 6-foot-0, 245-pound edge rusher impressed throughout the spring and has continued to make a strong impression in fall camp with the Rams so far.
Following CSU’s spring game in April, Jay Norvell spotlighted the defensive line as one of the stronger units on the team and said that he was really pleased with what he had seen from them. Then after CSU’s scrimmage last week, Norvell was complimentary of the group once again, this time mentioning Onyechi and Mohamed Kamara as individual standouts.
“We had some guys rush pretty well on defense,” Norvell said. “I think C.J. and Mo did some good things there.”
For a Rams team that has to replace the production of Manny Jones, Toby McBride and Scott Patchan, a trio that combined for 154 tackles, 31.5 tackles for loss and 16.5 sacks in 2021, it’s encouraging that the defensive line appears to be one of the better groups on the roster.
In a recent interview with DNVR, Onyechi talked about how exciting it is to be part of a unit with so many eager players that are ready to break out. He emphasized that the young guys that came in over the summer have been a welcomed addition and that while they still are in the process of figuring everything out, they really bought in from the start.
“They’re just like sponges, so they’re soaking everything up,” Onyechi said. “The depth is there. Some of those young guys can play. It’s just that experience, they’re going to have to be thrown into the fire, but I think they’re ready for it.”
Some of the freshmen that could end up working into the mix are Deandre Gill, Marshon Oxley and Nuer Gathkuoth. All three of the aforementioned already have the size to see the field in year one.
While it’s definitely good to see an influx of talented, young defensive lineman on the roster, we should also see a variety of older players that have been in the program get their shot this fall too. Devin Phillips will start on the inside for CSU. Outside of him though, Grady Kelly, Cam Bariteau and James Mitchell have all been competing for reps with the ones and twos at defensive tackle. 2022 would be the first time that any of those three have received consistent playing time, but defensive coordinator Freddie Banks has been open about wanting to rotate frequently. So it’s conceivable that all four of the aforementioned play varying roles for the Rams.
Colorado State defensive end CJ Onyechi celebrates a big defensive stop during the CSU Spring Game at Canvas Stadium on April 23, 2022.
After seeing the way the defensive line, although extremely talented, was essentially completely reliant on the starting four in 2021 and subsequently crumbled at the end of the season when the injuries mounted up for CSU, having more players that are ready to go should benefit the Green & Gold as the long season goes on.
Of course, while it’s important to have an assortment of capable players to rotate onto the field, at the end of the day you still need the guys that you can depend on to step up and make plays in the most critical situations. When it comes to getting after the quarterback this fall, it’s going to have to be Onyechi and Kamara that are known for being disruptors. Fortunately, Onyechi embraces that role.
“I feel like we’re going to be getting after the quarterback a lot,” Onyechi said of having an aggressive mindset. “That’s what we pride ourselves on. That’s what coach Buddha (Williams) pushes in us and instills in us.”
For Oyechi, 2022 will be an opportunity to breakout as a star after starting his career at Rutgers, where he tallied 87 tackles and five sacks in 43 career games for the Scarlet Knights. Although it’s been a bit of a mental adjustment for the New Jersey native after moving across the country, he said that things are going smoothly for him and that CSU has been everything he hoped it would be.
Due to the timing of the recruiting calendar, Onyechi was not even able to take an official visit to Fort Collins before he signed his letter of intent. The veteran pass defensive lineman said that he got to see the facilities over Facetime and even over a virtual tour he was amazed by what CSU had to offer.
“Even through Facetime, I was like, dang, this is legit. This is the real deal,” Onyechi said. “Everything that you could need is here. And like you wouldn’t expect that from a G5 program, coming from the Big Ten. But some of the stuff here, it’s even better in comparison to some of the Big Ten schools.”
Beyond Canvas Stadium and its many amenities, the biggest reason that Onyechi was willing to move roughly 1,800 miles to finish up his collegiate career was the chance to play for Jay Norvell and his defensive staff.
Of his head coach, Onyechi said that his reputation speaks for itself. “He’s a great guy and he’s had very successful teams in the past.”
And of his defensive coordinator, Onyechi praised Banks for how versatile he is as a coach. “He did everything at his old school.”
“Coming here, it was just about as far from home (as it gets). It’s something different,” Onyechi continued. “But you know, everything lined up. My coaches are some of the best that I’ve ever had in my whole football experience. And I’ve had two head coaches and like four position coaches, so being with this group has really opened up my eyes. It’s been way more opportunities for myself.”
CSU defensive lineman CJ Onyechi and offensive lineman Joey Treccia participate in spring football practice at Colorado State University’s football practice field in Fort Collins, Colorado on Tuesday, March 22, 2022.
As far as getting acclimated to CSU has gone, Onyechi said that he was able to get out and do some exploring over the summer with his teammates. Onyechi referred himself as a “big nature guy” and said that he loves being so close to the mountains.
He also credited his fellow defensive linemen and some of the other transfers for welcoming him in and making the move from home much easier.
2022 is going to be a big year for CSU as the Rams look to reach the postseason for the first time since 2017. We’ll see if the addition of Onyechi and the other fresh faces can help the Green & Gold get to where the team needs to be.
“One of our goals is definitely to go to the postseason, reach a bowl game and fight for a championship,” Onyechi said. “And on a personal level, we want to be a great defense. If we’re going to reach our goals, we’ve gotta stop the run and hold teams to a low point margin. If we do that well, it’s gonna be a very successful season for us.”
