Ethan Onianwa has steadily improved over his career at Rice. The offensive tackle's next step is finding a home for his final year of college football, continuing to develop while also prioritizing his team's success.
"I’m deciding to not finish my degree at Rice and entering the portal just so I can find a place where I can develop the most," Onianwa said. "And with a good OL coach, find a place where I can face good competition but also in practices as well.
"Probably the most important is finding a group of guys that are dedicated to winning, dedicated to being great. If you have a team of 'me guys,' people who aren’t serious about wanting to be great, you’re just wasting time and money."
Onianwa will be a big — very big at 6-foot-6 and 345 pounds — piece of the offensive line for a Power 4 school in 2025. He has wrapped up his visits, mentioning FSU among schools like Ohio State, Iowa and Texas A&M as those he is considering. A decision is set to come before Christmas, said Onianwa, who has one year of eligibility left.
While saying he "loved the staff here" at FSU, Onianwa reflected on his time with new offensive line coach Herb Hand. Onianwa said FSU's staff views him as a potential option at left tackle.
"He’s an incredibly detailed guy," Onianwa said of Hand. "Just watching film. He broke down some of the guys that he’s coached in the past that are similar to me. It really just showed how good of a coach he is."
Onianwa was a two-star prospect in the class of 2021, taking his first year at Rice to redshirt. He then made 23 straight starts at right tackle for the Owls.
While missing some time in 2024 due to injury, Onianwa allowed just one sack in 294 pass-block attempts. When asked about his strengths, Onianwa discussed areas where he has worked on through the years.
"I’ve been told by coach Herb that I move well for a 345-pound guy," Onianwa said. "I feel like it’s evident on film. And just being able to move people. But at the same time just being consistent, hand placement and punch, footwork in general. If you’re a big, strong guy you can only do so much if you don’t have the right technique.
"That’s the big reason why I want to have a good O-line coach to work with is to refine that technique, to be precise and everything."
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