4-star Jermaine O'Neal, Jr. dives into his recruitment
Jermaine O’Neal, Jr. is the No. 48 player in the 2025 On3 Consensus. the 6-foot-5 guard broke out this summer playing with the Drive Nation program on Nike’s EYBL 15u Circuit.
“I feel like I’m one of the most versatile players in the 2025 class,” O’Neal told On3. “I’m a great two-way player, one of the best shot blockers at my position, and I bring elite-level shooting. This summer, my offensive game rounded out; before that, I was just an elite defender, but now I feel like I’m able to do a little bit of everything. I watch a lot of Jayson Tatum and Carmelo Anthony with their mid-post stuff.”
The four-star guard is the son of former NBA All-Star Jermaine O’Neal. On3 caught up with Jermaine O’Neal, Jr. after a recent live viewing to talk recruitment.
“I have offers from Vanderbilt, Missouri, SMU, Arizona State, and Tennessee,” O’Neal said. “I won’t go on any visits until my junior year. I would say we hear most from SMU because they’re local, but we hear from all of them.”
O’Neal talks recruitment
Tennessee: “I started watching them a lot this year. I’ve looked them up online and seen their campus is really nice. I like how they play. I think they play hard, defensively, and well as a team. I would fit right in with that and with my shooting.”
SMU: “I know this year they are trying to build up. They have a lot of transfers, and they are on the way back up as a program.”
Vanderbilt: “Last year, with Scottie Pippen, Jr., I know they did pretty well. I haven’t watched them as much this season, but they played fast.”
Missouri: “Coach (Dennis) Gates was recruiting me while he was at Cleveland State. He’s a good coach, and we’ve connected; I could definitely see myself playing for him.”
Arizona State: “I’ve always loved Arizona State. I went there during my eighth-grade year for a tournament and saw the campus and loved it there.”
“We’ve heard from Texas, Oklahoma, Oregon, Boise State, and Memphis, too,” Oneal said. They haven’t offered yet, though.”
In his words
“I grew up liking Duke and USC,” Oneal said. “I don’t know that I’d necessarily go to either, but I’d say I like USC (Southern California) a little more than Duke. I want to play for a coach and a school that stresses defense. Also, somewhere that moves the ball and plays as a team.”