Sugar Bowl Hero Reflects on Leaving Notre Dame 'Better Than We Found It'

RJ Oben played just one year at Notre Dame but had one of the biggest defensive plays of the memorable year

Jan 2, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive lineman RJ Oben (9) celebrates after scoring a touch down during the second quarter against Georgia Bulldogs during the first half at Caesars Superdome. / Amber Searls-Imagn Images

39 seconds before halftime of the 2025 Sugar Bowl, Notre Dame had just taken a 6-3 lead over Georgia thanks to Mitch Jeter's second field goal of the game.

Georgia didn't want to simply give a possession away in a closely fought contest to that point, so decided to come out throwing.

That's when graduate transfer RJ Oben made the biggest play of his one season at Notre Dame, sacking Gunner Stockton and forcing a fumble that would help create a Fighting Irish touchdown just seconds later. Georgia wouldn't get within a single possession of Notre Dame the rest of the night.

NFL Draft Prospect RJ Oben on Former Notre Dame DC Al Golden

Notre Dame forces another Georgia fumble and finds the end zone on the next play! #CFBPlayoff pic.twitter.com/95Vy8yS1Wj

— ESPN (@espn) January 2, 2025

Oben recently spoke to Crissy Froyd of RG Media ahead of the NFL draft and reading the full piece is worth your time as he discusses why NFL teams should use a pick on him. Specific to Notre Dame though, Oben spoke about the raised bar for the football program, and how his use by the Fighting Irish set him up for success.

“Our defensive coordinator (Al Golden) is an absolute defensive mastermind who put me in a lot of different positions in terms of being all along the defensive front," Oben told. "They taught me an array of techniques and working on different sides of the field."

Golden using the veteran defensive lineman that way may have been best for Oben in the upcoming NFL draft as his versatility across the line has become perhaps his most valuable trait.

RJ Oben on Transferring to Notre Dame from Duke with Riley Leonard

Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Oben of course wasn't the only transfer from Duke that helped Notre Dame's College Football Playoff run this winter, as star quarterback Riley Leonard made the same jump.

“We went from winning very few games per year to winning 14, 15 games. I was so excited to go work with him and have the opportunity to play alongside my brother, regardless of the circumstance, regardless of how many people are watching,” Oben said.

“Knowing that we went in on this journey together, and I think we left that place (Notre Dame) better than we found it,” Oben said. “I was happy to have done that with (Riley Leonard).”

Notre Dame is certainly in a better place from the national perspective than it was even just a few short months ago and despite not putting up gaudy numbers there, Oben's forced fumble in the Sugar Bowl was a huge factor in changing the narrative of the Fighting Irish not deserving a spot in the biggest postseason games.

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