Kansas star, Lawrence native Devin Neal drafted by Saints
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KCTV) - One of the greatest players in Kansas football history has a destination for the start of his professional career.
The New Orleans Saints drafted KU running back Devin Neal with the 184th overall pick in the NFL Draft. The 6th-round selection sends Neal to a new home after playing his high school and college football in Lawrence, Kansas.
Neal, a 5-foot-11, 213-pound running back, concluded his college career as KU’s all-time leading rusher. The Jayhawk football record book is littered with Neal’s name across it. In four seasons at KU, he finished as the school’s record-holder for rushing touchdowns, rushing yards, scrimmage touchdowns and 100+ yard rushing games.
He is also the only player in Kansas history with 1,000+ rushing yards in three seasons.
| Season | Rushing attempts | Rushing yards | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 (Freshman) | 158 | 707 | 8 |
| 2022 (Sophomore) | 180 | 1090 | 9 |
| 2023 (Junior) | 203 | 1280 | 16 |
| 2024 (Senior | 219 | 1266 | 16 |
Neal enters the NFL with plenty of mileage on his body. He carried the football 760 times in college and accumulated more than 800 total touches from scrimmage when including his 77 career receptions which totaled 711 yards and 4 touchdowns.
A Lawrence native and Lawrence High School product, Neal’s decision to stay home resulted in a March 20, 2020, commitment and began the turnaround of KU’s program. The Jayhawks won 21 games from 2010 until Neal’s arrival in 2021. During his four seasons in Lawrence, KU won 22 games.
Neal was an Honorable Mention All-Big 12 selection as a senior. He earned National Player of the Week honors from several outlets in November following a four-touchdown performance and 287 total yards of offense in a win over Colorado.
As a junior, Neal was a Second Team All-Big 12 selection and as a sophomore and freshman he was also a Honorable Mention All-Big 12.
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