Miami, Florida Class of '21 Cornerback Gabe Nealy Commits to Michigan State
East Lansing, MI— Michigan State’s third commitment of the week and for the 2021 class came from one of the Spartans’ top out-of-state targets as Miami (FL) Gulliver Prep cornerback Gabe Nealy. Nealy announced his commitment to Michigan State following a virtual visit on Saturday afternoon.
Spartan Nation spoke with Nealy about his commitment to the Spartans and the 6-foot-4, 175-pound cornerback said that after being offered by Michigan State cornerbacks coach Harlon Barnett, he immediately felt a connection to Barnett and Michigan State and his relationship with the staff grew quickly from there.
“Coach Barnett first came to me with the offer, and when we first got on the phone, he was excited, was amped, I could feel the love, he was extremely excited,” he said. “I had never talked to a coach on the phone that was just so excited to coach me and develop me into the player and person I want to be. When I got on the phone with Coach Barnett, I just felt the love instantly; he wanted me; he told me how it was going to be, he told me he loves me so much. He called me around 10 or 11 p.m., he was so excited, he was going to call Coach Tucker and wake him up out of his sleep to let him know about me. Building up from there, I just started a great relationship with the defensive coordinator, Coach Hazelton. Coach Barnett and Coach Hazelton, they’ve been talking to me almost every day, letting me know what’s up and letting me know what scheme they have for me and how they want me to play and stuff.”
Nealy went on to add that Saturday’s virtual visit was very positive for both himself and his parents, who had the chance to get to know Barnett, defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton, and head coach Mel Tucker.
“Leading up to the virtual visit today, my mom and my dad got a chance to talk and listen to Coach Hazelton and Coach Barnett, and instantly, they made a great impression on my family. My mom loves Coach Barnett, my dad loves Coach Barnett, and they all loved the defensive coordinator. But what sealed the deal was getting that last phone call with Coach Tucker. Coach Tucker talked about a lot and talked about getting me out to the NFL was ultimately the goal. Still, he didn’t even prioritize that; he said this isn’t just a three year or four-year decision, this is a decision he talked about where in four years, getting that degree in business. It was just very surreal. I’m just thankful for Coach Tucker; I’m thankful for Coach Barnett, thankful for Coach Hazelton for welcoming me in with open arms. I love Spartan Nation. Even before I committed, when I first got the offer, Spartan Nation has continued to show me love that they love me, and they wanted me so bad, so I’m just happy to be a Spartan.”
Before committing to Michigan State, Nealy fielded offers from Cincinnati, East Carolina, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Louisville, Miami (FL), Minnesota, Nebraska, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Temple, Central Florida and several others.
Because college visits are currently not allowed due to the NCAA recruiting dead period that is in place through the end of May due to COVID-19, Nealy wasn’t able to get on campus for a visit, but instead had a virtual tour to meet with the coaching staff.
“I thought it went better than an official visit could have went,” he said. “They sat there, and they told me the plan, and they told me about Michigan State, and what it can do for me, and the program in total, and I bought into all of that. It’s not just me listening and saying, ‘Okay, okay, okay,’ but this is something I want to be in, an environment I want to be in, this is where I want to go, this is where I want to develop myself. They told that to me, and they proved that to me. I spoke with the conditioning coach, coach Novak and I like what he’s doing. I think he can build me to where I want to be at. The virtual visit went amazing.”
Nealy is Michigan State’s third commitment in the 2021 class and the first out-of-state commitment for Mel Tucker. Oak Park (MI) running back Davion Primm and East Lansing (MI) offensive lineman Ethan Boyd committed to Michigan State earlier this week.
Before Saturday’s virtual visit, Nealy admitted that his mother wasn’t yet sold on the idea of her son going to school almost 1,500 miles away in East Lansing. But after speaking with Tucker, Hazelton, and Barnett, she was on board with Nealy choosing Michigan State.
“I would say that before the visit, my mom was shaky about Michigan State,” he said. “Not because of the school, not because of the program or anything like that, but because of the distance with me being in Miami and going all of the ways to East Lansing. But after talking to Coach Hazelton, Coach Barnett and Coach Tucker, all of that changed, she bought into it, she loved it. I feel like Coach Tucker sealed the deal; she loved Coach Tucker. She loved the fact that - you don’t see too many African American head coaches, so when you see that, and you see Coach Tucker and everything he spoke on, he wants to build this program. I think Coach Tucker can lead us to a National Championship; I think they bought into it.”
With Nealy now committed to the Spartans, Michigan State is getting a rare cornerback that has elite size (6-foot-4, 175 pounds) and coverage skills and has the versatility to play anywhere in the secondary.
Nealy described himself as a type of defensive back that doesn’t come around very often because of his size and athleticism, similarly to San Francisco 49ers corner Richard Sherman.
“I can describe it in one word, a Unicorn,” he said. “That just means I’m rare, I’m one of a kind, you won’t find this anywhere else. You can think about Richard Sherman, and I want to build upon what Richard Sherman and I just want to be him 2.0, but in my own version. I don’t want to walk down someone else’s path. I want - when someone thinks about a long DB, you’re thinking about Gabe Nealy. For fans that ask what they’re getting in me, you’re getting a long, athletic corner who is very versatile that can do anything on the field. If you want to move me to safety and if the coaches think I can be more developed in that position, then you can move me to safety, but either way, you’re getting a really big kid, and you don’t get these 6-foot-4 recruits.”
With his recruitment now wrapped up as he’s apart of Michigan State’s recruiting class, Nealy admitted that he’s relieved to have the recruiting process behind him and is now focused on preparing for his senior season of high school football.
“It’s honestly a relief,” he said. “Before being committed, I stressed about colleges every night, getting texts from coaches and everything, and it was hard. I thought about my future every second and what would be the best possible option for me. Being committed now, it’s a relief; I can take a breather and lay down and get back to working and preparing for my senior season.”
For all of the latest news on the newest Spartan and the rest of the Michigan State football program, stay tuned to Spartan Nation!
Tell us what you think in the comment section below.
Want the latest breaking MSU news delivered straight to your email for FREE? Sign up for the DAILY Spartan Nation newsletter when you CLICK THE MAGAZINE ICON at the top left of the page or the FOLLOW button back on the main page. Don’t miss any of the latest up to the second updates on Michigan State Sports when you follow on Twitter @HondoCarpenter & @JDeuceDullack
