Physically, Oben has a great blend of physical gifts. He boasts a really nice frame, having good bulk and core strength. Oben is also sleek, which shows up as a pass rusher, seeming to be slippery as a rusher a ton. There is also a good amount of length, possessing the talent to get in the frame of opposing offensive lineman.
Oben has a good first step to make offensive lineman overset at times. He also has an advanced pass rush tool box, having a cross chop, club rip, speed rush and inside counter in his arsenal. That nuance, combined with the raw tools, make him a legitimate threat as a pass rusher.
As a run defender, Oben is a pretty puzzling player. With a good combination of length, bulk and core strength, he has shown the talent to play effectively at the point of attack. He can also set an edge, keeping contain pretty consistently.
For whatever reason, Oben just doesn’t play as urgently against the run. It doesn’t seem to be from a lack of effort. He just isn’t very aggressive to get off of blocks. Duke also rotates a lot and seems to feature him a lot more for his pass rush impact.
There are clearly tools for Oben to work with, which should allow him to be more of an asset in the run game. His long year at Notre Dame will be important to showcase improvement in that area.
In Duke’s defense, Oben was used from Both a three point, four point stance and as a standup rusher at times. He played mostly from wide alignments but would occasionally reduce down to rush from the inside.
Oben was occasionally slipped into coverage, but only on rare occasions. He is a true edge defender who will be much more effective moving forward. Oben can line up as an even front defensive end or an odd front outside linebacker. Oben would be better suited to the weak side in the latter role, where he wouldn’t be obliged to drop as often.
Oben is an intriguing fit for the Notre Dame defense. He could fill the role of field end formerly held by Javontae Jean-Baptiste this season. Oben will have to demonstrate that he can make a lot more plays in the run game and become an asset as an edge-setter in that area.
He might possibly fit in as a Vyper, similar to how Isaiah Foskey did. He wouldn’t be the incredibly versatile Vyper, but his pass rush upside, looseness, and repertoire would be intriguing in one-on-one battles. Oben offers the pass rush potential that the Irish need in 2024 to either place.
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