It appears a recent Texas A&M Aggies commit is already buying into the bitter, longstanding rivalry between the Aggies and Texas Longhorns.
Moments after five-star Angleton safety BJ Foster announced his commitment to Texas, recent Aggies safety pledge Leon O’Neal Jr. took to Twitter to express some thoughts that appear to be intended for the Longhorns and the school’s three safety commits.
All Those Safety's But I'm Best The Best Out
— LeonNumbaNine#9 (@WakeEmUp9) June 5, 2017
They Need That Momentum, We Don't Just A Few More Dawgs And It's Natty
— LeonNumbaNine#9 (@WakeEmUp9) June 5, 2017
By “All Those Safety’s,” assuming his comments are directed towards the Longhorns, O’Neal is referring to BJ Foster, Caden Sterns, and DeMarvion Overshown.
Per the 247Sports Composite, here’s how the top four safeties in Texas are currently ranked within the state:
- BJ Foster — No. 1 safety, No. 2 player
- Caden Sterns —- No. 2 safety, No. 4 player
- Leon O’Neal Jr. — No. 3 safety, No. 8 player
- DeMarvion Overshown — No. 4 safety, No. 13 player
Basically, industry option seems to fall perfectly in line with 247Sports Composite’s current rankings — 247Sports and Rivals have the four safeties in that above noted order, exactly, while Scout ranks Overshown ahead of O’Neal and ESPN has O’Neal slotted as the third best safety in the state behind Overshown, but ahead of Sterns.
Caden Sterns + Demarvion Overshown + B.J. Foster has to be one of the best recruiting hauls ever at safety. Three @scoutrecruiting Top 100s.
— Greg Powers (@GPowersScout) June 5, 2017
If the industry experts are right, O’Neal is currently the third, if not fourth best safety within the state, with Texas currently holding commitments from the state’s top two prospects at the position, regardless of which recruiting service you prefer.
In any case, O’Neal’s confidence isn’t surprising, as confidence is an essential quality for a defensive back and O’Neal certainly has the game to own a stake in the conversation of best safety in the state.
The Aggies have a force coming to College Station, but we at Burnt Orange Nation are of the belief that Foster, not O’Neal, is the best safety in Texas, as well as the nation. And we’re hardly out on a limb with that perspective.
That said, the widely varying personalities of Foster and O’Neal will be interesting to follow throughout this recruiting cycle, especially in the Houston area.
Foster, a generally quiet recruit, is well-respected among others in his class and has already said he’s going after Texas targets such as Brennan Eagles and D’shawn Jamison. O’Neal, on the other hand, is outspoken and, as seen above, his confidence radiates on Twitter. He’s already been in public pursuit of a handful of Texas and Texas A&M targets.
It appears recruits looking to stay home will ultimately have to take a side and join forces with the industry’s top-ranked safety or a safety out to prove he’s actually the best in the state.
As that dynamic plays out leading up to National Signing Day 2018, it should be entertaining to watch. It certainly will be if O’Neal has anything to say about it.