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Senior-day performance puts ‘exclamation mark’ on his career, but Neal, Jayhawks still have more to achieve

Senior-day performance puts ‘exclamation mark’ on his career, but Neal, Jayhawks still have more to achieve

On November 24, 2024By Littum

Nick Krug

Kansas head coach Lance Leipold congratulates Kansas running back Devin Neal (4) after the Jayhawks’ 37-21 win over Colorado on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at Arrowhead Stadium.

Kansas City, Mo. – To hear head coach Lance Leipold tell it, Kansas running backs coach Jonathan Wallace rotated backup running back Sevion Morrison early knowing it could be “a heavy day of assignments” for senior starter Devin Neal.

That ended up being an understatement. Neal finished Saturday with a career-high 37 carries and 41 total touches for 287 yards.

“I’m going to feel it tomorrow,” he said after the game.

And that was after he voluntarily returned for one final drive, meaning there are seven more as the result — a momentous win over 16th-ranked Colorado to continue the Jayhawks’ November run through the Big 12 Conference class – had already been decided.

“Sevi was going on the last drive and then Coach Wallace said, ‘Do you want it?'” Neal recalled. “I’m like, ‘Sure man, why not, let’s go out this way.’ It was just special to do it in front of that type of audience.”

Leipold said the performance, in front of 56,470, was a fitting “exclamation point” on Neal’s career, one that has had him perpetually on the field and at the helm of the Jayhawks’ rebuild since arriving from Lawrence High School as a freshman in 2021.

“I just remember my first snap being here and being a little baby out there, 190 pounds and honestly not really ready to play,” Neal said. “But there are so many people along this road that helped me get to this position. All the fans that showed up today, they could have easily given up on us… I just felt all the love, the support for the guys. We enjoy that. We’re human at the end of the day.”

The Buffaloes had no answer for Neal at any point during the day. After giving up 134 combined rushing yards in its previous double-digit wins, CU allowed 207 to Neal and 311 to the Jayhawks overall.

“I just saw the numbers, man,” teammate Cobee Bryant said in his postgame press conference. “It was crazy, I’m not going to lie.”

Neal first punched through the air and took a checkdown from quarterback Jalon Daniels half the length of the field for a score. In the second quarter, he ran for his first rushing touchdown, then took a wild snap around right end for 47 yards.

When the second half rolled around and KU’s lead had dwindled from 17 points to just two, his 28-yard run got the Jayhawks going again, and he had six more of 27 yards and another score.

“He’s somebody who wants to make a play,” Daniels said. “He’s not selfish at all… but when the ball is given to him, he wants to go out there and play.”

Finally, in the fourth quarter, Neal helped KU close out a game in a way it has so rarely had the chance to this season. Throughout, his hard work on the ground helped the Jayhawks control the possession game.

“Not to say anything about getting 37 carries, but just being able to just be downhill and do what we have to do and be physical in the trenches, that was really important and really good for us to see,” said Neal.

All the while, he struggled for yards after contact, making cuts that irked the Buffaloes’ defense and helped kill any chance of a CU comeback.

“There was a play today we had inside zone and there was a free tackler that he missed in the backfield,” Daniels said. “I just had to go up to Dev like, ‘Dang. Good game, bro.’ There’s nothing else you can say about it.”

As much as Neal’s senior-day showing ended his home run in memorable fashion, the Jayhawks still have goals far beyond the Kansas City area.

They have won three straight games, all over ranked opponents, and have bounced back from an emotional loss at Kansas State.

“Just looking around that Sunday (after K-State), I’m like, ‘OK.’ I see it now. I see the twinkle in the eye,” Neal said.

They beat Iowa State, BYU and Colorado; now they must win at baylor for the first time ever next saturday to secure bowl eligibility.

“We’ve got to go back with that same mindset, that hunger,” Neal said, “because we still want to play each other as long as we can and play at the end of December or whatever it may be .”

Chances are, Neal will have to play a prominent role in any KU win, as he has in the last four years and will in at most two more games.