Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 21-24@ Troy | 7 | 86 | 12.3 | 1 | 37 | Season-high 86 yds |
| Wk 2 | L 17-23vs Tulsa | 5 | 62 | 12.4 | 0 | 18 | |
| Total | 12 | 148 | 12.4 | 1 | 37 |
#7
Grady O'Neill
Senior wide receiver for Sam Houston. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
5′9″ · 170 lb · Prior Lake, MN · St. Thomas Academy / Wisconsin
CFB Index 41 · #299 of 485 WRsHigh confidenceReturning to Sam Houston for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
The numbers
148
receiving yards · 2026
12 catches · 1 TD · 12.3 per catch
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 7 rec, 86 yds, 1 TD, at Troy
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 wide receiver for Sam Houston. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Transferred from Wisconsin to Sam Houston in 2025.
Grady O'Neill
Moves the chains on third down. Two head coaches in three seasons, at two different programs. The receipt on tape: 86 rec yds, 7 receptions against Troy, Week 1, 2026.
148 REC YDS · 12 REC · 1 REC TD
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
The week the volume broke through — put up 89 yds at Middle Tennessee.Middle Tennessee · L 17-312025
202511 games
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
2 coaches2024
K.C. Keeler
Sam Houston
2025–2026era →
Phil Longo
Sam Houston
Coaching transition mid-career: K.C. Keeler → Phil Longo. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2024Wisconsin5-7HC: Luke Fickell · Run-leaning
2025Sam Houston2-10HC: Phil Longo · Balanced
2026Sam Houston0-2HC: Phil Longo · Pass-leaning
Where this profile ranks vs the WR cohort
Box-score percentiles
High confidence
Concern: receptions (12th percentile).
Box-score rates (5)
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 6.0 REC/g, 74.0 YDS/g, 12.4 YPR, 0.5 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Phil Longo
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-Conference USA
Based on 2025: #24 of 52 Conference USA WRs
How the All-Conference USA estimate is computed
15% estimated, 95% confidence interval 13–17%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sam Houston | 12 | 148 | 12.3 | 1 | -- |
| 2025 | Sam Houston | 38 | 392 | 10.3 | 1 | -- |
| 2024 | Wisconsin | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 50 | 540 | 10.8 | 2 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sam Houston | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Sam Houston | 1 | -5 | 24 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Wisconsin | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 1 | -5 | 24 | -- | -- |
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 1 · Troy · 3&11 · Q1 · EPA +3.26(07:52) Shotgun #8 L.Locke pass complete short middle to #7 G.O'Neill caught at TROY02, for 14 yards to the TROY00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 07:47, 1ST DOWN #94 S.Carpenter kick attempt good (H: #81 N.Ottomanelli, LS: #46 C.Whitington)
- Week 2 · Tulsa · 3&5 · Q2 · EPA +2.72(00:13) No Huddle-Shotgun #8 L.Locke pass complete short middle to #7 G.O'Neill caught at SAM50, for 15 yards to the TLS47 (#27 Z.Woodham), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Troy · 3&7 · Q4 · EPA +2.42(09:11) No Huddle-Shotgun #8 L.Locke pass complete short middle to #7 G.O'Neill caught at SHSU47, for 9 yards to the SHSU47 (#9 J.Keyes), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Tulsa · 2&10 · Q3 · EPA +1.89(09:46) No Huddle-Shotgun #8 L.Locke pass complete short left to #7 G.O'Neill caught at SAM30, for 13 yards to the SAM39 (#1 Z.Williams; #9 D.Collins), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Troy · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA +1.32(09:48) Shotgun #8 L.Locke pass complete short middle to #7 G.O'Neill caught at SHSU49, for 9 yards to the SHSU50 (#6 J.Powe)
- Week 2 · Tulsa · 3&18 · Q3 · EPA +1.06(01:50) No Huddle-Shotgun #8 L.Locke pass complete short middle to #7 G.O'Neill caught at TLS21, for 10 yards to the TLS21, End Of Play
- Week 2 · Tulsa · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +1.02(04:41) No Huddle-Shotgun #8 L.Locke pass complete short middle to #7 G.O'Neill caught at TLS47, for 18 yards to the TLS33 (#9 D.Collins; #15 T.Davis), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Troy · 2&4 · Q2 · EPA +0.84(01:17) No Huddle-Shotgun #8 L.Locke pass complete short middle to #7 G.O'Neill caught at SHSU39, for 7 yards to the SHSU41 (#12 S.Welch), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Troy · 2&1 · Q1 · EPA +0.80(09:15) Shotgun #8 L.Locke pass complete deep middle to #7 G.O'Neill caught at TROY27, for 37 yards to the TROY13 (#22 D.Smith), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Troy · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +0.25(02:31) No Huddle-Shotgun #8 L.Locke pass complete short middle to #7 G.O'Neill caught at TROY33, for 6 yards to the TROY31 (#6 J.Powe)
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Reliable target who converts on critical downs. Not flashy; consistently productive.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Sam Houston
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Wide receiver · Sam Houston
Returning around him
- 58% of 2024 offensive production back (Solid continuity)
- Transfer portal: +5 net (20 in / 15 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Sam Houston · Last season: 2-10 · Talent rank #117 · 2026 recruiting class #126
DNA match
Player DNA
Possession Receiver
Reliable target who converts on critical downs. Not flashy; consistently productive.
WR
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Will Hastings’s 2019 season.
Matches Will on
Height
Reception volume
Yards / reception
Through 2 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Elijah Steward’s path through Lafayette.
Matches Elijah on
Yards per reception
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Melquise Stovall's junior season at Pittsburgh (2021).
Matches Melquise on
Yards / reception
Reception volume
EPA / play (adj)
Differs from Melquise on
Weight (lower)
Background
2025 Season Played in 11 of 12 games ... had at least 1 reception in all 11 games played ... led team with 38 total receptions and was second on squad with 392 yards ... had 21 catches over final 3 games of the season, including a season-high 8 grabs in the season's final 2 games vs Middle Tennes...
The receiver room · Sam Houston
- #2Chris Reed460 receiving yards · 2025
- #7Grady O'Neill392 receiving yards · 2025
- #3Tim Burns Jr.228 receiving yards · 2025
- Darrick Bledsoe III86 receiving yards · 2025
- #1Aviyon Smith-Mack49 receiving yards · 2025
9 more on the roster · Sam Houston team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology