A&M's O'Neal Still On Campus, Not In The Transfer Portal
COLLEGE STATION — Texas A&M's Leon O'Neal stated he would be leaving the program last week. That might not be the case heading into camp.
The Aggies starting safety has still not entered the transfer portal according to head coach Jimbo Fisher. Despite tweeting out he would be leaving College Station, the Houston product was seen on campus Monday afternoon at the facility.
He’s still in school here with us right now,” Fisher said of O’Neal’s status with the team. “We’ll handle that internally.”
One of the top recruits during Fisher’s first season in College Station, O’Neal was a consistent role player for the Aggies' defense. Last season, he'd tally 39 tackles, three tackles for losses, one interception and three pass breakups in nine starts.
When asked about how the transfer portal worked, Fisher stated that players could decide for themselves on their future, leaving all involved out.
“They don’t have to come to us,” Fisher said. “They can just go straight to compliance, get into the portal and go. … They can do what they want to. You’d like to meet with them and talk to them if you can. Some guys want to, some guys [don’t]. Just make sure you have a plan. You ask them, ‘Do you have a plan of where you want to go and what you want to do?’ Hopefully guys don’t just go do it to do it. But the way the rules are, they can do whatever they want to do.”
Should O'Neal return to the program, the safety would become the second player to return after entering the portal. Last fall, tight end Glenn Beal entered the portal after a down season with the program. The junior would return following a conversation with Fisher and his family, deciding this was the best place for his future.
O'Neal should be welcome back if he were to ask to rejoin the staff. Unfortunately, for now, Fisher will have to wait on the decision of a critical member of their defense.
“A lot of those guys you don’t want to go,” Fisher said, “but sometimes guys want to go.”
Should O'Neal leave the program, he would have collected 55 tackles, four pass breakups and two interceptions in two seasons.
