Texas A&M junior defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal officially declared for the 2022 NFL Draft.
In an announcement posted to his Instagram account on Wednesday, Dec. 1, Leal said he will forgo his senior season with A&M. The San Antonio native is projected to be a first-round pick by ESPN’s Todd McShay in the upcoming draft in April.
Leal was a 5-star recruit coming out of Judson High School in Converse, according to 247Sports. In his freshman season with A&M, he played in all 13 games and was second on the team in quarterback hurries. By his sophomore season, Leal was leading the team in the same statistic.
In 2021, his junior season, Leal finished the regular season with a team-high and career-high 8.5 sacks, tied with teammate senior defensive lineman Tyree Johnson. Leal also had a career-high 58 total tackles and was listed as a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik award, the first Aggie to do so since defensive lineman Justin Madubuike in 2019.
In his three years with coach Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies, Leal has accumulated 13 sacks and 133 total tackles.
“My time in Aggieland was cut short, but I will always cherish my time with Texas A&M,” Leal said in the announcement. “I look forward to moving into the next phase of my life a better man.”
Leal did not mention whether or not he will participate in A&M’s upcoming bowl game.
