Tag: Devin Neal

2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report: RB Devin Neal, Kansas

A productive, versatile back, Neal won’t have a shortage of interested suitors.

Kansas running back Devin Neal, fresh off a productive, consistent career, heads into the 2025 NFL Draft as a dual-threat option with a safe floor.

The Kansas native chose to stay home as the highest-ranked RB prospect in the state, and he parlayed that decision into being the school’s all-time leading rusher.

Height: 5-foot-10 3/4
Weight: 213 pounds
40 time: 4.58 seconds

Not only did Neal accomplish said feat, he also racked up the most rushing touchdowns and offensive yardage in the program’s history. The 2023 All-Big 12 second-teamer earned honorable mentions for the all-conference squad in his other three seasons as a Jayhawk.

Table: RB Devin Neal, Kansas (2021-24)

Season Team Class G Rushing Receiving
Att Yds Y/A TD Rec Yds TD
2021 Kansas Fr 11 158 707 4.5 8 7 57 1
2022* Kansas So 13 180 1,090 6.1 9 21 183 1
2023* Kansas Jr 13 203 1,280 6.3 16 25 217 1
2024 Kansas Sr 12 219 1,266 5.8 16 24 254 1
Career 49 760 4,343 5.7 49 77 711 4

*includes postseason/bowl games (stats from Sports Reference)

Pros

  • Compact, well-built frame allows him to take punishment and muscle through contact
  • Maintains lane discipline and displays a knack for slipping through tight creases
  • Contact balance is one of his better traits
  • Straight-line, short-area acceleration is above average
  • Offers three-down utility at the next level
  • Respectable hands in the passing game and high-level ball security
  • Solid pass protector with room for growth toward being elite
  • Consistently productive and has a nose for the end zone
  • Fits multiple schemes in the NFL

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Cons

  • A lot of mileage for a guy turning 22 in August — 837 offensive touches in college
  • Lacks top-end speed to break away
  • While lane discipline has its perks, the lack of creativity is glaring
  • Short-area burst is hindered by sluggish angular burst
  • Low-upside career trajectory — probably already have seen the best he has to offer
  • Limited route experience

Fantasy football outlook

Given the nature of how the NFL utilizes the position these days, projecting where a running back will wind up in the draft is close to a fool’s errand. That’s even more so the case with versatile backs, like Neal, which makes projecting his predraft fantasy worth a total crapshoot.

An NFL comparison in the best-case scenario is David Montgomery. A more moderate view is somewhere between Devin Singletary and Khalil Herbert, a fellow former Kansas back. Rico Dowdle might be the best comparison for both size and playing style.

At his best, Neal profiles as a weekly RB2 with the occasional No. 1 showing. As a probable a Day 3 pick, near-term expectations should be tempered.

Broncos met with RB Devin Neal at the Senior Bowl

The Broncos met with Kansas RB Devin Neal at the Senior Bowl in January. He is projected to be a fourth-round pick in April’s draft.

The Denver Broncos met with Devin Neal at the Senior Bowl last month, the Kansas running back confirmed during his media availability in Mobile, Alabama, via Cecil Lammey and Andrew Mason of DenverSports.com.

Neal (5-11, 220 pounds) earned second-team All-Big 12 honors in each of the last two seasons after rushing for 16 touchdowns both in 2023 and 2024. In four years with the Jayhawks, Neal rushed 760 times for 4,343 yards and 49 touchdowns in 49 games.

Neal, 21, also totaled 77 receptions for 711 yards and four scores at the college level. He’s now entering the NFL draft and mock drafts have him projected going off the board in the fourth round.

Javonte Williams is scheduled to become a free agent in March, and running back appears to be one of Denver’s big positions of need this offseason. Neal could be a mid-round target for the Broncos, who still hold their own pick in the fourth round.

The 2025 NFL draft will be held in Green Bay from April 24-26.

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2025 NFL Draft could be a goldmine for running back-needy Steelers

The Steelers may need to reload at running back in 2025, and this draft class could offer the perfect solution to bolster their ground game.

A Najee Harris-less Steelers rushing attack is what 2025 may have in store, and while RB Jaylen Warren has been dynamic in both the receiving and running game, he has yet to prove he can withstand the full workload of the rushing attack. However, this issue may be easily solved in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Enter the 2025 NFL Draft’s running backs to alleviate these concerns: Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton, Arizona State’s Cam Skattebo, Tennessee’s Dylan Sampson, Kansas’ Devin Neal, and Ohio State’s duo of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins—any of these prospects may be drafted within the first two rounds.

Jeanty is without a doubt the strongest of these running backs, projected to go within the first 16 picks of the draft, but strong talent may exist beyond, such as Skattebo and Judkins in the second or third round.

This class is arguably the strongest running back class in recent memory, and the Pittsburgh Steelers have positioned themselves perfectly to take advantage of the 2025 NFL Draft.

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Devin Neal, Kansas down Colorado to make college football history

Devin Neal had a massive game for Kansas against Colorado

Colorado’s Travis Hunter is arguably the best player in college football and will likely win the Heisman Trophy.

On Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium, the WR-DB had to take a backseat to Kansas running back Devin Neal.

The running back from Lawrence, KS, rushed for 207 yards and four touchdowns. He caught four passes for 80 yards as the Jayhawks defeated Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes, 37-21, in a Big 12 game.

Kansas made college football history by winning the game. The Jayhawks, now 5-6, have beaten ranked teams in the Top 25 in three consecutive weeks.

That has never happened before in college football.

Hunter had a big game with eight catches for 125 yards but Colorado’s defense could not stop Neal, Jalon Daniels and Kansas.

The Jayhawks had 331 rushing yards and 520 yards of total offense. They kept the football for more than 40 minutes.

Colorado was limited to 42 rushing yards.

 

Report: Huskers in contact with Louisville transfer safety

Nebraska football has been in contact with a top-tier safety

Nebraska football has been in touch with senior Louisville safety Devin Neal. On3’s Pete Nakos reported (subscription required) this on Friday.

Neal left the Cardinals on October 5 and entered the transfer portal. He transferred to Louisville from Baylor for the 2023 season. He played in all 14 games that year and started 13. He had 74 tackles and four interceptions on the season.

Neal also showed his ability to be a stout defender and coverage, as he recorded six pass breakups and a fumble recovery. The safety recorded nine tackles this season for Louisville, as he came off the bench.

The Huskers have a strong safety room, led this year by senior Isaac Gifford. Neal could provide stability to Nebraska at the position, with several young pieces continuing to develop. The Baylor connection is also positive, as he has Texas ties. The Texas connection has been a strong point for coaching staff throughout their tenure in Lincoln.

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Jayhawks at Arrowhead: Kansas RB Devin Neal scores nifty touchdown

Check out this video of Kansas #Jayhawks RB Devin Neal scoring a nifty touchdown against the TCU Horned Frogs at Arrowhead Stadium.

The Kansas Jayhawks are looking to right the ship today as they take on the TCU Horned Frogs at Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Kansas has struggled through the early part of their schedule this season, falling well short of preseason expectations.

But, a quick start in their matchup against the TCU Horned Frogs on Saturday may have turned the tide for the Jayhawks.

After quarterback Jalon Daniels connected with wide receiver Luke Grimm for an early touchdown on Kansas’ first drive, the Jayhawks marched back down the field to put up another seven points when star running back Devin Neal scored an impressive touchdown.

Check out this video of Neal’s nifty red zone run that gave Kansas a six-point lead over TCU:

Kansas is off to an almost-perfect start in Saturday’s game, and if Neal can continue to make his presence felt against TCU’s defense, the Jayhawks may walk out of Arrowhead Stadium with a win.

Big 12 Power Rankings: Cowboys dropped by Knights, Sooners make a statement in week 11

Oklahoma’s win over West Virginia and Oklahoma State’s loss to UCF shook up this week’s Big 12 power rankings.

There are just two weeks left in the regular season, and there’s still a lot to sort out. Texas and Oklahoma State currently hold the top two spots in the Big 12 standings, but Kansas State, Oklahoma, and Iowa State are lurking.

There’s no time for anyone to slip up like Oklahoma State did this past weekend in Orlando.

The UCF Knights’ dominating 45-3 win over the Cowboys was shocking after Oklahoma State knocked off Oklahoma in Bedlam.

As for the Sooners, they responded to their two-game losing streak with authority, putting together arguably their best game of the season in their 59-20 win over West Virginia.

In the win, the Sooners looked like one of the best teams in the Big 12. That combined with the Cowboys’ loss, there’s been a shakeup in this week’s Big 12 power rankings.

Report Card: Poor grades all around as Oklahoma loses to Kansas

Oklahoma struggles nearly across the board areas but how did each position group grade out in the loss to Kansas?

Oklahoma took their first loss of the season on Saturday, falling to the [autotag]Kansas Jayhawks[/autotag] on a rainy and disgusting day in Lawrence. From the first play from scrimmage, it appeared Oklahoma would be in for a fight. And sure enough, that’s precisely what happened.

Oklahoma fell victim to another slow start on both sides of the ball. The Sooners were never able to get their passing game going. Due to the weather conditions, they relied heavily on their offensive line and running backs to generate offense.

The sooners will try and figure things out as they get set to take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys in what will be the last Bedlam for quite some time.

OU played a rough game on all fronts. Some things were encouraging, but a lot of the performance put forth was not good enough. We broke it down by position group below.

Best Photos from the Oklahoma Sooners loss to the Kansas Jayhawks

A look at the best photos from the Oklahoma Sooners loss to the Kansas Jayhawks.

It was a cold, wet, and dreary day in Lawrence, Kan. and the skies got even dimmer at the end of a hard-fought, weather-interupted contest between Oklahoma and Kansas.

The Sooners dropped their first game of the year 38-33 in a performance that was inconsistent from start to finish.

From Dillon Gabriel’s pick six to the inability of the defense to make stops late in the game, the Sooners struggled to execute in key moments in Oklahoma’s first loss of the season.

Oklahoma will need a bounceback next week when they go to Stillwater for what could be the final Bedlam in years.

Here’s a look at some of the best photos from Oklahoma’s loss to Kansas.

5 keys to an Oklahoma Sooners victory over Kansas

Can the Oklahoma Sooners extend their winning streak over Kansas on Saturday? Here are our five keys to the game.

On Saturday, No. 6 Oklahoma (7-0, 4-0) will take on Lance Leipold’s [autotag]Kansas Jayhawks[/autotag] (5-2, 2-2) for the final time as Big 12 foes.

Oklahoma needs to play a much better game on Saturday than they did against the UCF Knights. They looked to be sleepwalking through the game at times and could have been more crisp on offense. The offensive line had its worst game of the season in pass protection, and until the fourth quarter, the Sooners couldn’t expose a lousy run defense.

Defensively, two busted plays defined the day, as both led to UCF touchdowns. Those plays aside, it was an excellent day for an Oklahoma defense that continues to show improvement.

Kansas will present another challenge for this revitalized Oklahoma defense. The Sooners D continues to make opposing offenses look outmatched at times. Aside from the occasional busts in coverages, this unit is much better than the one that Kansas saw in Norman last year when Kansas quarterback Jason Bean threw four touchdowns.

The Jayhawks have two solid running backs, Devin Neal and Daniel Hishaw Jr. They are as explosive as teams get and will provide Oklahoma with a challenge.

Ultimately, the Sooners still hold advantages at multiple spots. With their lackluster performance from UCF behind them, the Sooners should come out on fire.

The Jayhawks surely won’t go down without a fight, and Brent Venables will make sure the team knows that.

Kansas hasn’t beaten OU since 1997. The Sooners have won the last 18 matchups between the two sides. But what are the keys to Oklahoma closing out the 100-year series with a win? Here are this week’s keys to the game.