HOUSTON, Tx. — Texas A&M standout Leon O’Neal Jr. plays football with an aggressive mentality, delivering punishing tackles all over the field. He gets high marks from NFL teams for his toughness, range, and instincts.
The Aggies’ safety, named the top player at his position for his team at the Senior Bowl all-star game in balloting from offensive players, models his game after Arizona Cardinals Pro Bowl safety Budda Baker.
Texas A&M Safety Leon O’Neal: ‘I’m an enforcer’
“It’s not real complicated, I know I’m ready for the NFL,” O’Neal said. “I’m just going to come in and be who I am. I’m an enforcer. A lot of my game is based on how explosive I am with certain things in pursuit. I attack the ball. I’m always around the ball. Like Budda Baker, you can’t help but see him around the football. That’s how I approach the game.”
A native of Cypress, Texas, he was a three-year starter for the Aggies. He recorded 56 tackles last season with a pair of interceptions, returning one 85 yards for a touchdown against Kent State. He finished his career with 6 interceptions.
At 6-foot-1, 204 pounds, O’Neal has run the 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds with a 35-inch vertical leap, a 4.22 short shuttle, a 6.83 three-cone drill, and a 10’5″ broad jump.
Which NFL teams has he met with?
At the Texas A&M Pro Day in College Station, O’Neal met with multiple teams. That included the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers.
The Houston Texans, including coach Lovie Smith and general manager Nick Caserio, attended his pro day along with all 32 NFL teams. O’Neal has Zoom meetings with the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, Baltimore Ravens, Cowboys, 49ers, and Indianapolis Colts.
“Coaches have been hitting me up asking how I’m doing,” O’Neal said. “I’ve had quite a few meetings. They keep saying I played in the best conference in America. With the amount of work I put in, the amount of discipline I put into the game, I know I’m ready. My character flows through me. I have the energy to be a safety. I’m a leader 24/7.”
O’Neal was deployed all over the field by Texas A&M all over the field, but he often lined up as a single-high safety. He consistently graded out highly in coverage on analytics charts.
He won the Aggies’ Heart Award, Defensive Attitude Award, and Strength and Conditioning Award last year. As a junior, O’Neal had 48 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 5 pass deflections.
At Cypress Springs High School, he had 78 tackles as a senior with 5 forced fumbles and 4 tackles for losses. He was named to the US Army All-American all-star game.
“I get the job done,” said O’Neal, who’s represented by veteran NFL agent Kevin Conner of Universal Sports and Entertainment Management. “I’m steady making plays and hitting people hard.”