Yardbarker
x

Young 2-Sport Athlete Has UW, Others Lining Up for his Talents

Originally posted on Washington Huskies on SI
By Dan Raley  |  Last updated Aug 19, 2025 10:35 PM ET

Tytan McNeal is like a gunfighter who, all of a sudden, assumes the reputation as the quickest draw around,.

This is what happens after the 247Sports recruiting website christened the Eastside Catholic High School football player in Seattle's suburbs as the nation's top tight end and the 14th best player anywhere for the Class of 2028 -- making him a 5-star recruit.

Well, good luck with that assessment.

That's because by the time this rising sophomore is ready to take his talents to the college game, he might be a more coveted edge rusher.

Or a desired small forward on the basketball floor.

Or a popular big guard.

No matter how you envision his talents, the already 6-foot-5, 210-pound McNeal stands to be one of the most hyped athletes coming out of the region since Ohio State took elite wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, edge rusher JT Tuimoloau and tight end Gee Scott back to Columbus -- with the latter two similarly from Eastside Catholic and all of them in the NFL.

McNeal admittedly was caught off guard by the 247/Sports notoriety.

“I was super unaware,” he told Andrew Nemec of the Sporting News. “I knew I was going to be ranked up there, but I didn’t think I would be that. I appreciate that they trusted my talent enough to put me up that high.”

Entering his 10th-grade season, McNeal holds 20 football scholarship offers, with Miami, Michigan, Oklahoma, Oregon, SMU, Tennessee, USC, UCLA, Wisconsin and Washington among his most notable pursuers.

Doing their homework, the Ducks already have made him both basketball and football offers The Huskies no doubt will match their rivals with a double offer at some point.

While its early and his recruitment should turn frantic with a lot more schools getting involved, McNeal mentioned how the UW has recruited him in an encouraging manner so far.

“I think they are looking pretty good,” he told Nemec. "It’s hard after you go to a national championship and your coach leaves, but I think Jedd Fisch has done a great job of making it his own. They treat it like they are the 33rd NFL team and they are building you for the NFL.”

As a freshman football player, McNeal came up big for Eastside Catholic in the opening round of the 3A state playoffs with a 35-yard touchdown catch in a 49-20 victory over Mountlake Terrace.

Yet he also had key sacks in enabling the Crusaders to overcome a 19-point deficit and beat Roosevelt 27-26 and in defeating Lincoln of Tacoma 20-7 in the state quarterfinals.

Basketball-wise, McNeal, a highly aggressive player full of an assortment of dunks, recently received MVP honors at Paolo Banchero’s elite basketball camp on its second day.

Deciding where this kid's athletic future lies is anyone's guess right now.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:


This article first appeared on Washington Huskies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.