Week Six Jayhawk Spotlight: Devin Neal
Finally, we get around to featuring an offensive star for the Kansas Jayhawks in our weekly spotlight article. It took six weeks, but we got there. And it was difficult to narrow it down to just one player, but the finesse and speed of Devin Neal ultimately won out over the brute force of his backfield mate, Daniel Hishaw.
Each week at this time, we pick out one prolific Jayhawk, and while I was tempted to get obscure and go with the offensive line as a whole, I opted to go the obvious route. Besides, Brendan is far better at that kind of stuff in his Film Room Favorites articles each week. So I guess we’ll just have to spend some time discussing one of the best running backs in college football, Devin Neal.
Talk about efficiency. Devin Neal was the epitome of the word on Saturday against the Knights. He ran the ball 12 times for a whopping 154 yards. For math aficionados out there, that’s an average of 12.8 yards per carry. And it could’ve been more. On KU’s first scoring drive, Neal ran the ball three times in the first five Jayhawk plays, racking up 32 yards in the process. Then, inexplicably, the KU offense turned away from Neal, giving him the ball only once in the ensuing eight plays, the drive stalling at the eight yard line. KU settled for a field goal.
Just like he was the catalyst to a long drive the first time the offense had the ball, Neal again got the Jayhawks moving quickly on their second drive. His 20 yard run to start that drive set the tone, and just like that, the Jayhawks were in UCF territory. He only touched the ball twice more on that drive, but the running game was thoroughly established, allowing Jason Bean to go to work, finding Luke Grimm for a nice gain and eventually Lawrence Arnold for a touchdown.
The next drive showcased Neal’s ability to catch and run, combining on a 14 yard play from Bean to get into the red zone. Daniel Hishaw, his partner in crime in the backfield, bulldozed and bruised defenders on that drive, getting into the endzone. At this point, the KU run game was a true masterpiece of beauty and power. Combine Devin Neal’s make you miss moves and his blazing speed with Hishaw’s brute force, and you had the makings of a blowout.
It was thanks in part to Hishaw’s physical play along with the outstanding work of the offensive line that led to Neal being able to get huge chunks of yardage multiple times during this game. And it was never more evident than it was to start the second half. But the credit must truly be given where it is due- to Devin Neal.
The run was a work of art. The little hesitation that Neal takes as he surveys the situation ahead of him is the shining moment, but he had a lot to do after he found that hole. He still had to make a sharp cutback five yards into that run to get into a semi open field but Neal wasn’t done with the trickery. Around the 50 yard-line and going at full speed, Neal’s head is on a swivel as he quickly and comprehensively decides what to do, seemingly taking in all UCF defenders in his field of vision. And that’s where he does it. He splits two Knights defenders like he was Dajuan Harris on a three against two fast break, and the rest is pure sprint. The defense didn’t have a chance. Seventy five yards later and Kansas was up 31-0.
Strangely, Neal’s stat line could’ve been much more impressive if the Jayhawks weren’t so impressive themselves. If the game was closer, no doubt Neal would’ve gotten more touches in the second half than he did. No matter, there should be plenty more opportunities for the Lawrence native to showcase his skills.
Through six games this season, Neal has 593 yards on the ground for an average of 7.7 yards per carry. His six touchdowns are just three shy of the career high of nine that he set last season. Oh, and by the way, after Saturday’s performance, Neal is now the ninth leading rusher in the history of KU football. With a potential seven more games in the season, Neal has a chance to be one of the most special players Kansas has ever seen.
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