Thomas O'Neill, Mercyhurst P: the 2026 season story
Thomas O'Neill is a freshman punter for Mercyhurst (NEC). He ranks 104th of 232 punters in Division I by the Player Index, which judges every punter on the measures that matter at the position, adjusted for the opponents he faced.
Scouting report
Why it matters. Every measure is set against every ranked punter, so a strength here is a strength against the whole position, not just his own team. Thomas O'Neill's strongest measure is gross punt average at 43.5, 65th of 134 (the average is 43.6). His weakest is inside the 20 at 30%, 94th of 134 (the average is 35%).
Against every punter
Why it matters. Volume, efficiency and impact plays can tell different stories: a player can be busy without being effective, or rarely used but dangerous every time. Among ranked punters he sits, on average, in the 45th percentile for efficiency and 31st for impact.
The season, game by game
Why it matters. Consistency matters to a team: one huge game and five quiet ones is a different season from six solid ones. Over 9 games, Thomas O'Neill's best came in week 4 at Western Kentucky and his quietest in week 9 at Stonehill.
Where he does his damage
Why it matters. The shape of a player's production, not just its size, is what opponents scout.
National and conference
Why it matters. The Player Index puts every punter on one scale, adjusted for the defenses or offenses he faced, so a rank here is comparable across conferences. Thomas O'Neill is 23rd of 98 FCS punters and 1st of 7 in the NEC. Next up nationally is Senin Seymour of Mercer, 0.03 ahead on the index.
Punters like him
Why it matters. Players with similar profiles tend to be used the same way, which makes them a quick way to picture his game. His closest match this season is Matt Guidebeck of New Hampshire.
