Curt Neal Finds New Home With Ex-Teammates in Illinois Football

Curt Neal said he and several former Wisconsin teammates decided it would be "amazing" to rejoin in Champaign

Dec 27, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Wisconsin Badgers nose tackle Curt Neal (92) against the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the 2022 Guaranteed Rate Bowl at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

A change of scenery brings about new beginnings, which is the scenario Illinois transfer defensive lineman Curt Neal finds himself in.

Neal, a former four-star recruit originally from Cornelius, North Carolina, spent his first three college seasons at Wisconsin. He played in all 13 games in 2023 but was still awarded a redshirt, finishing the season with 13 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He even started one game.

He flourished in 2024, starting every game and leading all Badgers defensive linemen with 29 tackles, plus half a sack. Not only was the 6-foot, 300-pound Neal nimble and effective working down the line, but he also got a stronger grasp of his role in the UW defense.

But it wasn't enough.

Wisconsin went 5-7 under coach Luke Fickell, failed to reach a bowl game and finished 16th out of 18 Big Ten teams in defense. Neal knew he wanted more. So he sought it out.

Thus the transfer to Illinois and his new surroundings in Champaign. Well, not all new.

Meeting with local media for the first time as an Illini, Neal told FOX Illinois on Monday that he is excited to not only help Illinois take its next steps forward as a program but also to take that journey with ex-Badgers teammates Leon Lowery Jr. (outside linebacker) and James Thompson Jr. (defensive lineman), who also both transferred to Illinois in the offseason.

#illini transfer Curt Neal is from Wisconsin

He joins Leon Lowery and James Thompson, who were also Badgers last season

“Bro, if we could all team up, that would be amazing”

Bret Bielema and Terrance Jamison have earned a reputation of being NFL developers, said Neal… pic.twitter.com/IiClHV6JKI

— Carson Gourdie (@GourdieReport) February 3, 2025

"I met James on our visit together," Neal said. "But Leon, like, he fell in love with Illinois. So once Illinois reached out to me and James, we were like, 'Bro, if we could could all team up, that would be amazing.' I mean, it all just happened naturally. It wasn't planned."

Neal, who has two seasons of eligibility remaining, will have an excellent chance to start and anchor the Illinois defensive line in 2025.

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