After a successful collegiate career, Kansas running back Devin Neal has his eyes set on the NFL.
In a 2025 NFL Draft class that is loaded with running back talent, Neal is one of the most productive. Throughout 43 career starts, he has been able to prove without a doubt he is worthy of an NFL opportunity.
Devin Neal’s Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 5’11″
- Weight: 215 pounds
- Position: Running Back
- School: Kansas
- Current Year: Senior
A native of Lawrence, Kansas, Neal attended Lawrence High School and starred on both the football and baseball teams. He was a four-star recruit, according to 247Sports, and committed to Kansas, originally planning on playing both sports. He played in seven games for the baseball team as a freshman but switched solely to football after that.
Neal’s first season in college coincided with Lance Leipold’s first season as the Jayhawks’ head coach. While Kansas ended the year at just 2-10, Neal was able to contribute right out of the gate. He finished the year with 707 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns on 158 attempts, adding a receiving touchdown in the process.
Stepping into his sophomore year, Neal started 12 of the 13 games he played in 2022. The Jayhawks made it to their first bowl game since 2008, and he played a big role in that improvement. He finished the year with 1,090 rushing yards, nine rushing touchdowns, and a receiving touchdown. His yards-per-carry average improved from 4.5 the previous year to 6.1.
In 2023, Neal started to generate NFL buzz as the Jayhawks continued to turn their program around. With Kansas ending the year ranked for the first time since 2007, Neal earned second-team All-Big 12 recognition for his performance.
He upped his rushing touchdown total to 16 as a junior, rushing for 1,280 yards with a 6.3 yards-per-carry average that ended up being his collegiate career high. He caught 25 passes out of the backfield for 217 yards and a touchdown, too. Neal decided to return to school for his senior year. The 2024 season resulted in numerous ups and downs for the program, but the star running back remained a consistent producer.
He started all 12 games during the regular season, tallying 1,266 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns with 5.8 yards per carry. He earned a second-team All-Big 12 nomination for the second year in a row, and he finished his collegiate career with three consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
Scouting Report
Strengths
- Explosive athlete with an impressive first step coming out of the backfield.
- Once he finds an open running lane, he does a good job of turning on the jets and hitting top speed.
- Has the breakaway speed needed to outrun defenders in the open field.
- Shifty back who does a good job of changing direction and generating significant spring in his step.
- Creative runner out in space with the ball-carrier vision needed to see the whole field and make smart cuts.
- Offers zone-gap versatility, taking 343 carries in zone schemes and 407 carries in gap schemes.
- Has improved as a processor in between the tackles throughout his collegiate career.
- Better at letting the play develop and varying his tempo out of the backfield than he was early in his Kansas days.
- Only had four career fumbles on 760 carries.
- Agility in the open field gives him the potential to work as a pass catcher.
- Yards-per-catch average improved from 8.7 in 2023 to 10.6 in 2024.
Weaknesses
- Won’t wow you with his hands as a receiver.
- Has been a liability in pass protection in college, which combined with his average instincts as a receiver gives him a rather limited ceiling on passing downs.
- Doesn’t have a small frame, but he doesn’t lower the shoulder through contact incredibly well to run over defenders.
- Tends to go down at the first sign of contact more often than not.
- Upright runner who still plays with ideal agility for the running back position, but his higher center of gravity can affect his contact balance.
- Ball-carrier vision, though improved, is still inconsistent in between the tackles.
- Prone to being indecisive out of the backfield, leading to open running lanes closing up on him.
Current Draft Projection and Summary
Depending on who you ask, Neal’s high level of production at the collegiate level either gives him a large sample size of tape to work with or means he enters the NFL with some tread on his tires.
Either way, there’s no denying Neal is an electric runner. He has home-run potential at the next level, which he displayed through his 115 career runs that went 10+ yards. He’s explosive in the open field and shifty when evading defenders, making him a difficult player to catch up to and wrap up properly. His agility has also helped him out as a pass-catcher in the past.
A lack of significant play strength limits Neal a bit, making it tougher to project him as a consistent tackle-breaker in the pros. He’s hardly the battering ram type that teams will go to in goal-line situations. Though he has gotten better as a receiver, he can still fall victim to drops. That, along with his struggles in pass protection, hurts his value on passing downs.
Neal projects best as a change-of-pace back at the next level who can spell a stronger starter with his athleticism and creativity. That type of player makes him an early Day 3 value — particularly in the fourth round — but he has the potential to sneak into the third round if he tests well enough.
