Just when it looked as if Texas had regained the majority of recruiting momentum in the state, the Texas A&M Aggies struck back in a big way Friday, picking up safety Leon O'Neal, ranked No. 86 overall in the 2018 class, and defensive end Max Wright, No. 235 overall, in a dual commitment video.
The journey starts now #committed 💯 pic.twitter.com/5SkQ5gyqKc
— Max Wright (@maxwright2k18) June 2, 2017
The 6-foot-1, 196-pound hard-hitting O'Neal chose Texas A&M over Texas, Clemson, LSU and Oklahoma with the Aggies considered the heavy favorite throughout the spring.
Wright, 6-foot-4 and 276 pounds, chose the Aggies over the Longhorns, making it two big victories out of the Houston area for Kevin Sumlin and staff.
The ESPN 300 dual commitment was followed quickly by a tweet from Sumlin, with a little more than the normal #YESSIR.
#YESSIIR #YESSIR #9's are wild
— Kevin Sumlin (@CoachSumlin) June 2, 2017
O'Neal and Wright become the fifth and sixth ESPN 300 commitments for Texas A&M, which already boasted a top-20 class before their announcement. The duo joins offensive linemen Colten Blanton and Luke Matthews, the son of NFL Hall of Fame lineman Bruce Matthews, as ESPN 300 verbals from the all-important Houston area. Peach State quarterback Cade Fortin and athlete Jordan Moore round out the ESPN 300 commits for the Aggies in 2018.
Texas A&M remains in contention for a number of other ESPN 300 prospects, including wide receivers Jalen Preston, Al'vonte Woodard and Joshua Moore, defensive end Joseph Ossai, defensive tackle Keondre Coburn, tight end Malcolm Epps and defensive back D'shawn Jamison. Moore is the brother of Aggies commit Jordan Moore and is set to announce June 18 with Florida State considered the top competition for the Aggies.