2024-25 Football Roster

#9 RJ Oben Football Roster

DL


Height 6-3
Weight 265
Class Graduate Student/*Senior
Hometown Montclair, NJ
High School St. Peter's Prep/Duke
RJ Oben - Football - Notre Dame Fighting Irish

HONORS AND AWARDS

  • Watchlist for 2025 Senior Bowl
  • Preseason All-ACC selection by Pro Football Focus (Third team) 

AS A GRADUATE (2024)

  • at TEXAS A&M (8/31): Started on the defensive line in first game with the Irish… registered a tackle
  • NORTHERN ILLINOIS (9/7): Started in the game… collected one solo tackle for the Irish
  • at PURDUE (9/15): Started and made a solo tackle on defense
  • MIAMI UNIVERSITY (9/22): Started in the game… collected two tackles – one solo, one assisted
  • LOUISVILLE (9/28): Started for the Irish defense… collected three tackles – two assisted, one solo
  • STANFORD (10/12): Started in the game… collected one solo tackle
  • at GEORGIA TECH (10/19): Started and competed on defense… had a solo tackle
  • at NAVY (10/26): Competed for the Irish in the win
  • FLORIDA STATE (11/09): Started for the Irish… collected a solo tackle
  • VIRGINIA (11/16): Started on defense in the victory… collected three assisted tackles… had a shared tackle for loss for one yard
  • ARMY (11/23): Saw playing time on defense for the Irish
  • at USC (11/30): Started on the defensive line in the victory
  • INDIANA (12/20): Started for the Irish… registered a solo tackle

PRIOR TO NOTRE DAME (DUKE)

AS A GRADUATE (2023)

  • Returning starter at defensive end 
  • Preseason All-ACC selection by Pro Football Focus (Third team) 
  • In 38 career games (23 starts), has registered 50 tackles, 14.0 TFL, 9.5 sacks, one INT, five caused fumbles, and 18 QB pressures 
  • Has recorded 2+ tackles in 14 contests, including a career-best five against Charlotte and Pittsburgh in 2021 
  • Garnered 1.0+ TFL in 10 games, with a career-high 2.5 TFL against Charlotte in 2021 
  • Registered an INT versus Virginia Tech in 2021 
  • Posted a career-best three QB pressures against North Carolina (2021) and Boston College (2022) 
  • Carded a caused fumble on five occasions against Charlotte (2021), Virginia (2021), Pittsburgh (2021), North Carolina (2022) and Miami (2022) 
  • Has played 1,149 snaps 
  • Enters 2023 one caused fumble shy of breaking into the program’s career top-six chart and just 2.0 sacks shy of becoming the 17th Duke player with 11.5 career sacks

AS A SENIOR (2022) 

  • Saw action in all 13 games, making 12 starts 
  • Recorded 20 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks, 10 QB pressures and two forced fumbles 
  • Led the team in QB pressures, while finishing tied for second in forced fumbles, third in sacks and fourth in TFL 
  • Earned 2+ tackles in seven contests, including a season-best three against Northwestern and Virginia Tech 
  • Posted a season-high 1.5 TFL and 1.5 sacks versus Miami 
  • Tallies caused fumbles in back-to-back contests against North Carolina and Miami 
  • Registered a season-high three QB pressures against Boston College 
  • Earned 1.0 sacks and one QB pressure against UCF in the Military Bowl to rank tied for third and tied for fourth, respectively, on Duke’s bowl game charts 
  • On the field for 485 snaps

AS A JUNIOR (2021) 

  • Saw action in all 12 games, making 10 starts 
  • Recorded 25 tackles, 7.0 TFL, 5.0 sacks, one INT, eight QB hurries and three caused fumbles 
  • Earned 2+ tackles in six contests, including a season-best five versus Charlotte and Pittsburgh 
  • Posted 1.0 TFL in five games, including a season-high 2.5 against Charlotte … lone INT came against Virginia Tech 
  • Finished second on the team in forced fumbles, earning one versus Charlotte, Virginia and Pittsburgh 
  • Registered a season-high three QB pressures against North Carolina 
  • On the field for 568 snaps

AS A SOPHOMORE (2020) 

  • Played in nine games, missing action against Syracuse and N.C. State
  • Totaled four tackles and 0.5 TFL
  • Recorded a season-high two tackles against Georgia Tech
  • Carded 0.5 TFL versus Virginia
  • On the field for 72 snaps.

AS A FRESHMAN (2019) 

  • Played in four games against Alabama, North Carolina A&T, Georgia Tech and Virginia before suffering a season-ending injury 
  • Had surgery on October 21, 2019 to repair a left shoulder injury 
  • Recorded lone tackle against North Carolina A&T 
  • On the field for 24 snaps

PREP & PERSONAL

  • Lettered three years at St. Peters HS under coach Rich Hansen 
  • Consensus three-star prospect by ESPN.com, 247Sports.com and Rivals.com 
  • Rated as the No. 51 weakside defensive end nationally by Rivals.com and listed at No. 57 by 247Sports.com 
  • The No. 124 defensive end nationally as ranked by ESPN.com 
  • Third Team NJ.com All-State selection following final campaign 
  • USA Today American Family Insurance All-USA New Jersey pick as a senior
  • Named to the Hudson Reporter All-Area High School Football Team as a senior 
  • Two-time all-conference selection 
  • Chosen to participate in the Pro Football Hall of Fame World Bowl 
  • During final campaign, recorded 28 tackles and 5.0 sacks 
  • Also competed in track and field and was a three-time all-county pick in the discus
  • Born June 17, 2001 
  • Majored in economics, minored in African & African American studies 
  • Son of Roman Oben and Linda Claude-Oben 
  • Father currently serves as the NFL Vice President of Football Development after joining the league as the Director of Health & Safety in January 2015, was a four-year letterwinner (1992-93-94-95) on the football team at the University of Louisville and added three letters as a member of the track & field program before becoming a third round pick by the New York Giants in the 1996 NFL Draft, spending 12 years as an offensive tackle with the Giants (1996-99), Cleveland Browns (2000-01), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2002-03) and San Diego Chargers (2004-07), starting on the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl XXXVII championship team, and in 130 of 143 games during pro career, and earning induction into the University of Louisville Football Ring of Honor and Athletic Hall of Fame
  • Mother played volleyball at New York University 
  • In August 2022, completed the Bloomberg Terminal Certification with a focus on global economics and all investment assets.