Inside Devin Neal’s motivation for his senior year with KU football, and what’s possible

LAWRENCE — Kansas football coach Lance Leipold’s appreciation for Devin Neal showcased itself again earlier this month out in Las Vegas.

Leipold, speaking at the Big 12 Conference’s media days, praised the leap of faith Neal took to play for the Jayhawks. Leipold, appearing on TV on ESPNU, highlighted how Neal stuck with KU despite the rebuild that began with Leipold’s arrival ahead of the 2021 season. Leipold described Neal, a senior running back, and Jalon Daniels, a redshirt junior quarterback, as 1A and 1B when it comes to what they’ve done for their team, the university and the greater community.

But while Neal holds that place locally, it appears there’s still more for him to prove nationally. Neal, on the cusp of wrapping up one of the best careers a Kansas running back has ever had, hasn’t always received the level of All-Big 12 recognition he’s capable of earning — including being left off the 2024 preseason all-league team the media voted on.

And, from Neal’s perspective, instances like those are things he uses as motivation.

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“I’ve always felt like, at certain points, I’ve been doubted,” Neal said during media days. “I don’t take, like, personal attacks or whatever. Like, I don’t take it over the edge. But, obviously, it’s motivation. I feel like I’m one of the best, if not the best, running back in the country. And that’s just personal thoughts, but if others don’t feel that way, it’s OK.”

Through the first three years of Neal’s college career, he’s led Kansas in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns each of those three seasons. Heading into 2024, he’s coming off of back-to-back seasons in which he’s rushed for more than 1,000 yards — for a team that has reached two-straight bowl games. It’s not a matter of if he’ll have places high up in the Jayhawks’ record books for years to come, but just how high those places are.

Whether achievements like that factor into more Big 12 and national accolades before Neal turns pro will be determined in time. But Neal does appreciate he’s in a league that features high-profile running backs like Oklahoma State’s Ollie Gordon II and Texas Tech’s Tahj Brooks. He grew up watching Kansas and the Big 12, and admiring the great running backs who played in this league. He thinks they all help bring more attention to each other, but the league as a whole.

Neal’s place among the likes of Gordon, Brooks and more could very well be determined by the strides he can make under Kansas’ new offensive coordinator/assistant head coach — Jeff Grimes. Neal has appreciated the lengths Grimes has gone to build trust with him and his teammates. Neal described what Grimes is looking to do as more pro-style than the Jayhawks have done in the past.

Of course, Neal wants to leave his career with more team success, too. In his mind, Kansas is capable of winning 10-plus games and competing for a Big 12 championship. It’s a statement that illustrates just how far the Jayhawks have come as a program the past few years, during Leipold’s rebuild, and a reward of sorts for a local talent like Neal who chose to stay home for college despite how much KU was struggling in the years prior to his and Leipold’s arrival.

“Faith in myself, faith in God and faith in my family, man,” Neal, initially a member of Kansas’ baseball team as well, said as he recalled why he chose the Jayhawks. “I wanted to be around my family as much as I could. I have a younger sister who I’ve got to see grow up, right? And if I’m not here, I only get to see her glimpses of the year. So, I wanted to be a good big brother for her and just be around — be around my family as much as I can, still.”

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Inside Devin Neal’s motivation for his senior year with KU football, and what’s possible