Had Brandon Leone opted to play out the recruiting game, his home phone might have rung off the wall. Schools like Penn State and Kansas State were trailing the multi-faceted Conroe Oak Ridge star, but his blood always ran maroon.

"He would have been a pretty hot commodity," A&M defensive backs coach Shawn Slocum said. "But he committed to us early after he attended one of our early summer camps after his junior year."

Leone is the kind of loyal prospect whom R.C. Slocum truly appreciates.

"He was solid the entire time," Slocum said. "He played running back and defensive back in high school, but we project him as a safety."

Growing up in Conroe and playing for Oak Ridge, Leone didn’t have to look far for Aggie news and didn’t have to travel far to Kyle Field. He attended an early summer camp and immediately caught the eye of every A&M coach.

"In our camp, he did everything you want a safety to do," Shawn Slocum said. "We knew quickly that this was an outstanding athlete."

He played practically every skill position for coach Roger Holtkomp at Oak Ridge. As a starting junior defensive back and part-time running back with 267 yards rushing, he played much of the season with a broken thumb.

He moved to featured tailback his senior year, before a shoulder injury cut his season to seven games. Still, Leone rushed for 1,001 yards, scored 12 touchdowns and was named Montgomery County Offensive Player of the Year and ranked among the top 25 safety prospects in the country.

"He has a lot of enthusiasm for both football and for life… it’s kind of contagious," said Holtkomp. "He’s ready for the challenge of switching to full-time defensive back. The A&M family takes care of people, so we’ve told him how lucky he is to be going to a place like that. Brandon was very impressed by the A&M coaches. They kept their commitment steady the whole time, and they were both very loyal to one another."

It was quickly evident that the Aggies wanted Leone a part of their family. Within days of him finishing camp, Slocum’s scholarship offer was in the mail and within minutes, Leone’s answer was yes.

"This is like a dream come true to me," Leone told Max EmfingerRecruiting.com. "I have been an Aggie all my life, and now, I will officially become one."

At 6-foot and around 200 pounds, his 4.3 speed and natural athletic ability had Shawn Slocum already drawing impressive comparisons. He also pulls a 3.0 grade-point average in the classroom.

"He has good size for a safety and reminds me a lot of Rich Coady." Slocum said, "only he’s a little faster than Rich."

Leone’s talents were showcased in the high school 7-on-7 Passing tournament last summer in College Station, as he impressed everyone in attendance – including Lufkin quarterback and Aggie signee Reggie McNeal – with some circus catches as a wide receiver.

"When you look at a high school kid, you look to see if a coach is putting the ball in his hands," Shawn Slocum added. "That means they’re trustworthy and that’s important. Also, Brandon wanted to be an Aggie, and that means a lot to us as coaches."

– Tom B. Turbiville