James Onwualu Embracing His Challenge In 2016

For two years, James Onwualu has conducted his business from the shadows of the Irish linebacking corps. This fall, he might be front and center.

After transitioning from wide receiver to Sam linebacker following his freshman season in 2013, the St. Paul, Minn., native started 17 games the past two seasons alongside the ultra-talented Jaylon Smith and Mike linebacker Joe Schmidt, who became a lightning rod for criticism in 2015.

As a result, Onwualu didn’t attract nearly as much attention while serving as a special teams standout and productive Sam linebacker.

During this past spring, during which Notre Dame featured only three healthy scholarship linebackers other than Onwualu, the senior realized his time to lead had arrived.

“I think so. I saw myself as a leader last year, but I showed it through action,” he said. “I go out and work every day and make sure the guys around me are on point. Joe was a little more vocal. It's Joe Schmidt. He was the vocal guy, making sure everybody was on point and he's great at that. I think just stepping up and recognizing I need to be a little more vocal. The transition went smoothly and I feel comfortable with that.”

It’s a role for which Onwualu seems more than prepared. His intelligence comes across strongly in interviews and he should be a master of defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder’s scheme entering its third season. On a unit where players often comment about the complexity of the look, Onwualu could help some of his fellow linebackers grasp the position.

“Defensively, I think myself, Isaac [Rochell], Cole Luke, Max Redfield and offensively, which I don't get to touch as much, [Mike] McGlinchey for sure [are leaders],” Onwualu said. “He and I have talked about some things. There's a bunch of guys in my class that are stepping up and really want this team to be great.”

Typically, the summer is a time when leaders develop and naturally become the go-to voice in their specific position meeting room. Take Sheldon Day as an example. Head coach Brian Kelly couldn’t sing his praises enough during the 2015 season after the Indianapolis native became the clear head of the defensive linemen.

“I don't know that we've really attacked that point of this group yet in terms of focusing on who the leaders are,” Kelly said. “We're still developing so many other pieces of this football team that there are some guys that have naturally stepped in front. Mike McGlinchey offensively, Torii Hunter. The quarterbacks lead naturally just by virtue of who they are. Isaac Rochell has done a great job. James Onwualu.

“Those guys lead just by their character and who they are on a day-to-day basis. When we get to that segment, we'll focus a little more on them in particular and putting them out front but we're not at that point where we really need to focus on developing those guys. I think they'll come out naturally.”

At 232 pounds, Onwualu is considered by his coaches to be a bit undersized for the position, though the linebacker disagrees. The advantage of that size might come on third down packages, but his true value might not even show itself the most on first, second or third down. It just might be found in his impact on a young Irish linebacking corps looking to contribute to a defensive rebirth in 2016.

"I think this spring has really helped some of us who have had pretty dominant leaders in front of us throughout the previous years," he said. "We’ve gotten a feel for how we can really emerge to be leaders throughout these spring practices so just continuing that."