Marian's O'Neill chooses South Dakota

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The University of South Dakota was one of the first schools to contact Marian Central lineman Cody O’Neill last spring.

When O’Neill got around to visiting the NCAA Division I school last weekend, he was sold immediately. He liked the small-town feel of Vermillion, S.D. – it reminded him a little bit of his hometown, Harvard – and knew he’d found what he wanted.

O’Neill (6-foot-3, 285 pounds) committed to the Coyotes’ coaching staff after the drive back to Harvard with his father, Larry, and his younger brother, Kolton. O’Neill, a three-year starter for the Hurricanes, can sign his NCAA letter of intent Feb. 4, the first day of the NCAA signing period for football.

“I really enjoyed myself and the atmosphere there,” O’Neill said. “That’s the place I felt I needed to be.”

O’Neill is a two-time Northwest Herald All-Area first team selection at offensive lineman.

He started on the offensive and defensive line for the Hurricanes as a junior and senior, and started at guard for Marian’s 2006 team, which lost the IHSA Class 5A state championship game to Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin, 35-14.

O’Neill is the fourth D-I player that Marian has produced in the past three years.

Offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga has started both seasons he has played at Iowa, defensive end Sean Cwynar  redshirted this season at Notre Dame, and Marian quarterback Jon Budmayr finished his graduation requirements early and enrolled at Wisconsin this semester.

“[South Dakota] was one of the first schools to call me, then they backed off a little bit,” O’Neill said. “They started calling again and pushed harder. They told me to come up and they would evaluate me.”

O’Neill said the coaches also said they would offer once he came to Vermillion. He knew before leaving town he would accept.

Other schools on O’Neill’s list were Eastern Illinois, Illinois State, Miami (Ohio) and Northern Illinois. Illinois had some interest in O’Neill, but he said that would have been as a preferred walk-on.

“He had an offer [from Western Michigan] and didn’t take it right away,” Marian coach Ed Brucker said.

“Some [coaches] were kind of stringing [him] along for a while. He’s happy and he really liked the place. He deserves it. He’s worked really hard.”

O’Neill is the third prominent area athlete who will head to South Dakota next year.

Marian volleyball player Kim Bulaga (Bryan’s sister) and Jacobs boys basketball player Conrad Krutwig both signed with the Coyotes in November.