Star RB Devin Neal Trying to Stay a Dual Sport Athlete For the Kansas Jayhawks

Neal wanted to play dual sports in college, and his hometown school offered him that ability. He demonstrated through high school that he could have success in both sports. As he entered the recruiting process, he gained interest from Nebraska, Notre Dame, and Missouri. All of these would have been good options for football, but once Neal found out he would only be playing football, those choices were eliminated. 

Neal arrived on the Kansas campus in 2021 and immediately made an impact on the football field. He played in 11 games in his freshman season, starting eight games. He rushed 158 times, amassing 707 yards and eight touchdowns. His most noticeable game was against the Texas Longhorns, where he rushed 24 times for 143 yards (an impressive six yards per carry average) and three touchdowns.  

With football entering into the offseason, Neal transitioned to baseball. So far in his freshman year, he has one at-bat against Illinois. He had to balance both sports as football started spring practices and baseball started its season. The Kansas Jayhawks football team hosted their Spring Preview on Saturday, April 9th, and after the game, Neal was asked how he has been able to manage both football and baseball. He said, "It definitely was one of those challenges trying to figure out mentally and physically, but just having both coaches communicate as well as making sure I am doing good mentally and physically, I am just super proud of that aspect."

Neal will continue to develop both mentally and physically in each sport. Both baseball and football require different types of preparation, and Neal is up to the challenge. Each sport will benefit from him participating as a dual athlete. As he becomes more familiar with the process throughout an entire school year, it's fair to expect him to be ready to take the next step on the field.