TUSCALOOSA, Ala.-Defensive back Carmelo O'Neal was shining as a sophomore at Mercer at the FCS level last season. With the Bears, he had nine pass deflections, a forced fumble and a sack to go with 38 tackles.
Now, he's suiting up for one of the most storied programs in the history of the sport: the Alabama Crimson Tide, and he's already making a noticeable impact.
O'Neal first caught the attention of defensive coordinator Kane Wommack last November when the staff was watching film in preparation for the Iron Bowl.
"We were watching Auburn, and they had played Mercer the week before," Wommack said back in March. "I was like, 'Damn, who is this DB they got at Mercer?"
Once the 2025 season drew to a close, the staff circled back on O'Neal and determined that he was a great fit for what the team was building in the secondary.
"We went after him quickly," Wommack said.
During the Tide's spring practices, Alabama's third-year DC gushed about O'Neal's ability to quickly adapt to a new season, especially when jumping from the FCS ranks to the SEC.
Wommack called O'Neal "a sponge" in March, and now, as fall camp continues to roar on, Wommack is still high on the big-bodied DB.
"There's not many guys that have that length and that athleticism," he said. "I knew there was a skill set to work with. He was athletically further ahead. It was better than what any of us had anticipated when he got here. He's just made huge strides in the last eight months."
Wommack pointed to O'Neal's mindset as to why he's been getting rave reviews thus far in camp.
"He just dove in. He's got a professional mindset. He works at it every day. He's very coachable," Wommack said.
I asked O'Neal's teammate in the secondary, Dijon Lee, what he's seen from the touted transfer. He complimented O'Neal's willingness to work on his technique and also talked about what he brings to the position group outside of physical attributes.
"He's out there working with us, getting his technique right just like all of us," Lee said. "He brings a lot of swagger to the room too, so he's a good fit for us."
The question that truly arises when it comes to O'Neal is, will he actually see much time on the field? Alabama is returning one of the very best secondaries in all of college football, but Wommack noted that players like O'Neal will constantly need to stay ready.
"You're asking me to put you on the field. That means I've got to take Bray Hubbard off the field or Zabien Brown off the field, right? And at times, those guys need a breather anyway," Wommack said. "But they have to play at least close to the same level as those experienced players."
And for O'Neal, expect to see a decent dose of him throughout the year. You don't just bring in a specimen like that as a junior just to keep him parked on the bench all season, and if word from around the building is any indicator, O'Neal could be key for this secondary in 2026.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/alabama as 'Who's This DB They Got at Mercer?' How FCS Transfer Carmelo O'Neal is Rising Within the Tide DB Room .
