TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - In the midst of Dijon Lee Jr.'s struggles against Georgia, Alabama turned to his backup.
Carmelo O'Neal, the No. 2 corner behind Lee on the official Alabama depth chart, entered the game for two drives late against the Bulldogs and drew praise for his performance in the high-pressure moment.
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"Melo's just steadily getting better and better every single week," defensive coordinator Kane Wommack said. "He's played anywhere from I think maybe 16 to 18 snaps, all the way to 25 snaps a game. So he's been in there consistently, but really impressed by what he was able to do in the second half and the way he stepped up."
O'Neal has appeared in the secondary in all six of Alabama's games. He's recorded 10 tackles, picked up his first pass breakup against Mississippi State, and was named special teams player of the week by the coaching staff for his work on the punt block unit against Kentucky.
He recorded a key third-down tackle against the Bulldogs, fighting through a block to help Bray Hubbard corral Sacovie White-Helton. (You can watch more from the Alabama secondary in my film breakdown from the game, here.
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A transfer from FCS Mercer, where he spent the past two seasons, O'Neal drew praise throughout the offseason.
He's continued to be a "glue guy" for Alabama, as his energy and work ethic have been appreciated by coaches and players alike.
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"Something that sticks out to me is just his personality," linebacker Luke Metz said. "Like, he's always a positive guy, no matter how many reps he's getting, like he's a great locker room guy. Yeah, he's just a really good guy. I'm glad to, you know, see him succeed."
At 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, O'Neal is the direct backup to Lee (6-foot-4, 202 pounds) due to their near-identical frames. With Lee's struggles, especially in press man coverage, and Wommack's comment that Lee would be "held accountable"
following his unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that sealed the loss for Alabama, it appears likely that O'Neal could be in for his highest usage of the season against Tennessee on Saturday.
"He will continue to elevate his role moving forward," Wommack said. "So I think he's trending in the right direction."
Regardless of how much he plays, it is clear that O'Neal is a key piece of a tight-knit Crimson Tide secondary.
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"He practices hard. He is a great player," fellow corner Zabien Brown said. "He provides great energy."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/alabama as 'Great Locker-Room Guy' Carmelo O'Neal Primed For Bigger Role In Alabama Secondary
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