Rutgers Football has added a Transfer Portal piece to its pass rush today, as former James Madison defensive end Eric O'Neill has announced his commitment to the program on social media.
O'Neill will spend his final collegiate season in Piscataway, joining a defensive line that is losing multiple experienced pieces, including seniors Aaron Lewis and Wesley Bailey at defensive end, and adding the nation's fourth-leading pass rusher in terms of sacks bolsters that room in a big way.
He becomes the second former James Madison defensive lineman to transfer to the Scarlet Knights, joining Darold DeNgohe, who committed multiple weeks ago.
JOIN TODAY AND GET 30 DAYS FREE! | THE ROUND TABLE FORUM | RUTGERS FOOTBALL 2025 RECRUITING CLASS | RUTGERS HOOPS RECRUITING
A local product, the 6-foot-3, 250-pound Staten Island native began his high school career at Tottenville High School before playing the 2020 season at Paramus Catholic in New Jersey due to New York cancelling all sports seasons due to COVID and then he returned home to Tottenville for the 2021 season.
O'Neill finished his lone season with the Dukes racking up 13 sacks, good for fourth nationally, and finishing tied for seventh with 18 tackles for loss. His 90.4 defensive grade on Pro Football Focus led James Madison and ranked eighth among all edge rushers nationwide. He notched multiple sacks in a game four times in 2024, including three sacks twice.
The Dukes' star joined the program for a season after spending three years at LIU playing at the FCS level. O'Neill was a pass-rushing force with the Sharks, winning NEC Player of the Year in 2023 after racking up 5.5 sacks and 23.5 tackles for loss. As a sophomore in 2022 he registered 10 sacks and 22 tackles for loss. He finished both 2022 and 2023 ranking second in tackles for loss among all FCS players.
O'Neill's addition adds an established star pass rusher at multiple levels with a proven ability to get to the quarterback and finish plays, something Rutgers has struggled with in the last two seasons.
The Scarlet Knights ranked in the bottom five among Big Ten teams in both sacks and tackles for loss, and while O'Neill's gaudy numbers and reputation do not instantly solve the issue, it improves upon it especially given the losses of Bailey and Lewis, Rutgers' leading pass rushers for the last three seasons.
Bringing O'Neill - and DeNgohe - into the program adds another wrinkle to the Scarlet Knights' defensive coordinator search as well. While not a confirmed candidate, James Madison defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill checks several boxes, including being from the area as a Delaware native, working on the same coaching staff as Kirk Ciarrocca at Delaware in 2004 and 2005, and having Power Four experience, serving as a defensive coordinator and secondary coach at Wake Forest and Duke. At the latter stop he worked under Mike Elko, a New Jersey native.
Getting two members of James Madison's defensive line into the program could familiarize head coach Greg Schiano with Hemphill as he searches for Joe Harasymiak's replacement. There are not yet any confirmed candidates for the job.
O'Neill becomes the eighth transfer portal addition for Schiano and the Scarlet Knights, joining DeNgohe, offensive lineman Hank Zilinskas (Colorado), tight end Colin Weber (Charlotte), cornerback Jacobie Henderson (Marshall), wide receiver DT Sheffield (North Texas), defensive tackle Doug Blue-Eli (South Florida), and running back CJ Campbell (Florida Atlantic).
--------------------------------------------------------------
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
