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LAWRENCE — Devin Neal became Kansas football’s first pick in the 2025 NFL draft, as the New Orleans Saints selected him in the sixth round with the 184th overall pick.
Neal spent the past four years as a running back with the Jayhawks, and left a mark as one of the more influential figures in program history.
He helped spark the turnaround under coach Lance Leipold, which has included a pair of bowl appearances and one bowl win since Leipold and Neal arrived in Lawrence ahead of the 2021 season. One could look at the record books for years to come, and finding Neal’s name would remain a less than difficult task.
"He's a Jayhawk legend, really," Mel Kiper Jr., a draft analyst on ESPN, said during the broadcast of the draft. "I mean, what he did to get that program righted and make football important in Lawrence — Devin Neal was a key guy. And he's got quick feet. Doesn't have great speed in terms of game-breaking, long runs, but he has quick feet and I tell you what, he can catch the ball and he can block."
RELATED: 5 things to know as spring ball ends for Kansas football and the Jayhawks look ahead
Neal might need to continue to showcase how productive he can be in the passing game, whether that’s as a threat as a receiver or as a blocker, but this past fall, he took a step forward in that regard. The productivity on the ground has been there year over year in the Big 12 Conference. Odds are, if Kansas had a more successful season in 2024 as a team, Neal might have been even more highly thought of.
Neal enters the professional ranks after a 2024 season in which he rushed for 1,266 yards and 16 touchdowns, while averaging 5.8 yards per carry. He also caught 24 passes for 254 receiving yards and one score. There are a lot of eyes on KU’s running backs room now that he’s gone, to see if there’s one Jayhawks player — or more than one — who can step up to make up for Neal’s departure.
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Pros, cons, New Orleans pick Kansas football’s Devin Neal in NFL draft
Continue reading...
Neal spent the past four years as a running back with the Jayhawks, and left a mark as one of the more influential figures in program history.
He helped spark the turnaround under coach Lance Leipold, which has included a pair of bowl appearances and one bowl win since Leipold and Neal arrived in Lawrence ahead of the 2021 season. One could look at the record books for years to come, and finding Neal’s name would remain a less than difficult task.
"He's a Jayhawk legend, really," Mel Kiper Jr., a draft analyst on ESPN, said during the broadcast of the draft. "I mean, what he did to get that program righted and make football important in Lawrence — Devin Neal was a key guy. And he's got quick feet. Doesn't have great speed in terms of game-breaking, long runs, but he has quick feet and I tell you what, he can catch the ball and he can block."
RELATED: 5 things to know as spring ball ends for Kansas football and the Jayhawks look ahead
Neal might need to continue to showcase how productive he can be in the passing game, whether that’s as a threat as a receiver or as a blocker, but this past fall, he took a step forward in that regard. The productivity on the ground has been there year over year in the Big 12 Conference. Odds are, if Kansas had a more successful season in 2024 as a team, Neal might have been even more highly thought of.
Neal enters the professional ranks after a 2024 season in which he rushed for 1,266 yards and 16 touchdowns, while averaging 5.8 yards per carry. He also caught 24 passes for 254 receiving yards and one score. There are a lot of eyes on KU’s running backs room now that he’s gone, to see if there’s one Jayhawks player — or more than one — who can step up to make up for Neal’s departure.
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Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Pros, cons, New Orleans pick Kansas football’s Devin Neal in NFL draft
Continue reading...
