Neal stays loyal to Oklahoma

ST. LOUIS - Even a late recruiting pitch from the nation's top high school player couldn't sway De Smet standout wide receiver Durron Neal from his commitment to Bob Stoops and the Oklahoma Sooners. Neal, the top high school talent in the St. Louis area and one of the best prep wide receiver prospects in the nation, made his near eight-month pledge to Oklahoma official Wednesday during a signing ceremony in his high school auditorium. But it didn't come without a late push from Dorial Green-Beckham, the five-star All-American from Hillcrest High School in Springfield, Mo., who announced earlier Wednesday that he would be attending Missouri. "He texted me the whole weekend, asking me why I'm not staying home," Neal said. "But I just feel like OU is the better fit for me as a player and me being able to go out and expand my horizon a little bit and meet new people in life and have a new experience." The 6-1, 195-pound Neal had offers from more than 30 schools including Alabama, Oregon, Arkansas, Michigan, USC and Missouri when he committed to Oklahoma following an unofficial visit last summer. After accounting for 1,914 yards and 31 touchdowns while splitting time as a wide receiver, quarterback, running back, cornerback safety and returner as a junior in 2010, most expected the recruiting process to drag out into his senior year. But after taking unofficial visits to Missouri, Arkansas and Alabama last spring, it was a trip to Norman, Okla.,that proved to be the final trip. The 4-star prospect had seen enough even though other coaches continued to try and change his mind. "I'm very relieved this is done," Neal said after a signing ceremony at De Smet . "The last couple of weeks, I've had Missouri pushing me real hard to flip my decision. I was loyal to myself and loyal to Sooner Nation as this process went along, but it feels really good to finally get it over with. "I'm a very traditional type of person and the tradition of the school is just tremendous and the program is all about winning. Taking nothing away from the other schools, I just felt like it was a good fit with me and my family." With the recruiting process out of the way, Neal put together an even bigger senior season last fall and was named the St. Louis Post-Dispatch All-Metro offensive player of the year. Despite being the source of double teams and extra attention from defenses, Neal caught 35 passes for 825 yards an average of 23.6 yards per catch and had 15 touchdowns. He had 78 rushes for 716 yards and 11 touchdowns and also passed for 105 yards and two scores. He also had two returns for touchdowns, bringing his total to 30 for the year. "He's a special kid," said DeSmet coach Pat Mahoney. "He played five positions, partially because of injuries but partially because he's just that talented. "He's as solid as it comes. I think his signature on his texts and everything else is no days off'. He never misses a workout. His football aptitude is top notch. He understands the game of football. He's a real student of the game. You tell him one time and he's got it. " Neal's knowledge of the game became apparent to Mahoney quite quickly when he first saw him during a 7-on-7 game over the summer before his freshman year. The summer league is usually reserved for Varsity players but Neal showed up and the DeSmet coaches decided to throw him into the mix. "I fully remember after explaining him a route, I told our receivers coach, You think he understands a word I just said?'" Mahoney said. "He said, Nope. He didn't understand a word', and he ends up running a perfect route on a deep drag across the middle. "The ball is thrown high, he catches it with one hand, gets hit, comes down on his back and holds onto the ball and I said, Well, we might have something here'. Since day one the kid has been impressive." Despite a late push from USC, Oregon, Iowa and Missouri that lasted into the final hours, Neal made his decision to attend Oklahoma final when he signed his National Letter of Intent and faxed it to the Sooners at 7:01 a.m. Wednesday morning. Neal's scouting report on Scout.com says he is a, "freakish athlete who will get touches all over the field and always puts up sick numbers statistically. He has great speed and can hit top speed instantly. "He has great hips and change of direction which allows him to run past or around defenders. He has the size and speed to be a split end, slot receiver or flanker on the next level." Neal was one of six De Smet athletes to sign LOI's during a ceremony in the school auditorium but was no doubt the main attraction. Television cameras from three local stations turned out as the top area prospect made it official. "I was Oklahoma all the way, and to know that not many St. Louis kids go to schools like that, it's a real big thing," Neal said. "I feel honored and blessed." The Sooners expect Neal to contribute as a true freshman in the fall, both at wide receiver and puntkick returner.