Joseph Jonah-Ajonye first stepped onto a football field four years ago. Now the Oak Ridge senior defensive lineman is a nationally-ranked four-star recruit with more than 31 offers to play in college.
The rise has been instant for the 6-foot-5, 275-pound Jonah-Ajonye. His uncle introduced him to football. Jonah-Ajonye decided to give the sport a shot as a freshman at Conroe. Now it’s paved a path for his future.
Jonah-Ajonye is ranked 21st overall in ESPN’s Top 300 for the Class of 2024.
“I’m very much surprised,” Jonah-Ajonye said. “I never thought I’d be at this level. Through prayer and hard work, I ended up being here. Sometimes I wake up and forget that I’m in this position. I’m very grateful, very blessed.”
The list of schools pursuing Jonah-Ajonye’s services include Georgia, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma, UH, LSU, Michigan State, Texas, Texas A&M and USC. But he has his choice narrowed down to Georgia or Oklahoma.
He plans to make a decision during a live stream on Thursday.
“I really like the way I fit in both defenses,” said Jonah-Ajonye, who had nine tackles for loss last season. “I think Oklahoma wants to prioritize me more as a defensive tackle. Georgia wants to keep me more as a defensive end. I loved the culture at both schools, and I loved Athens and Norman. It’ll come down to whichever feels like home.”
Jonah-Ajonye is from Nigeria. He played soccer there. He credits his sharp reflexes from his days as goalkeeper.
His family moved to the United States in 2015, first to Maryland, then to Huntsville, Houston and, now, Conroe. He moved from Conroe High to Oak Ridge in the late summer of his sophomore year.
“At first, it wasn’t easy acclimating to the weather, the culture, the people,” Jonah-Ajonye said of the transition from Nigeria to the States. “The food and the weather were the biggest changes. Nigeria is always hot. I hate the cold. The food, I had to get used to it. There’s a lot of cheese in American food and I don’t really like cheese.”
Jonah-Ajonye, whose meal of choice is steak, is naturally explosive and powerful. When watching his tape or talking to others about him, those are the first two things that come to mind.
What is most impressive, however, has been his growth in the four years since he started chasing around opposing ballcarriers. Jonah-Ajonye has become a student of the game. He refuses to rely only on his natural gifts.
“It’s quite astonishing, really,” he said. “I’ve grown so much, not only in size but my technique, physicality, speed, power. At first, I was just running around. Now I’m more refined. As a high school football defensive end, I’m very complete as a player.”
Jonah-Ajonye has added almost 50 pounds since last season. He played last year at 230 pounds. He’s currently at 275.
“All muscle,” he said proudly.
He does not have a personal trainer. Instead, he trains on his own by taking drills and workouts from other trainers’ YouTube or Instagram accounts and implementing them into his work on the field of Irons Junior High.
“This offseason, I refined so much of my technique,” Jonah-Ajonye said. “My hands, my eyes. I’ve gotten stronger and faster. I’m bigger.”
Jonah-Ajonye is excited about his upcoming senior campaign. He wants to win, of course. He is confident the War Eagles can beat the powerhouse The Woodlands for the first time ever.
Most of that faith stems from the special defensive unit Oak Ridge expects to field. The War Eagles have five-star senior Justin Williams at linebacker. Senior Favour Awodyin (6-4, 215 pounds) and Jonah-Ajonye man the trenches.
“I really just want to hit people,” Jonah-Ajonye said. “I’m excited about winning. Our defense is astounding. Amazing. The simplest way to describe it is dominance. We’re going to be great.”
