Devin Neal, the hometown kid, finds himself at the center of Kansas football’s renaissance

LAWRENCE — The story can start in two places.

It can begin Saturday, in the hours before the game, with a message Kansas football’s head coach sent to his lead running back. It can delve into why that message, one that highlighted Tony Sands’ program-record 58 rushing attempts in a single game back in 1991, served as a nod to what may come for the current Jayhawks talent. Lance Leipold indicated Devin Neal knew he’d be counted on, even if Neal’s load on the ground wouldn’t quite reach 58.

Or it can begin much further back, like before Neal joined Kansas as a highly touted freshman in 2021, when Neal had a decision to make. After a coaching change that saw Leipold take over at an awkward time after the 2020 season, Neal didn’t have to stick with the Jayhawks just because Neal was a Lawrence native. Neal did, though, to be a part of the change Leipold began to create in 2021 and has continued to press in Neal’s sophomore season in 2022.

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But the ending, at least of this chapter, rests in the same spot. It’s with Kansas football winning 37-16 against Big 12 Conference foe Oklahoma State to reach six wins and bowl eligibility in a season for the first time since 2008. And it’s with Neal, that hometown kid, setting his own program history in the process as the first ever to collect at least 200 yards rushing and more than 100 yards receiving in one game.

“It’s special because Devin Neal committed to the University of Kansas,” said Leipold, who has his team at 6-3 overall and 3-3 against the Big 12 this season. “You don’t always see that as much anymore, and I understand why, but Devin committed to the University of Kansas to be a Jayhawk — not necessarily who the coach was … and I’m cool with that. Because you need people that are determined to help get programs turned around and Devin Neal is definitely one of those.”

Neal hasn’t forgotten how, when he first committed to Kansas, he saw people around the country question why he’d ever do that. They thought he would be wasting his career, he recalled. Looking at what’s been accomplished not even two full seasons into Leipold’s tenure in Lawrence, Neal thinks people are finally noticing the Jayhawks are doing something special.

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Neal’s parents have been there to support him before he even stepped on campus to start his college career. It was emotional for Neal to celebrate the win against a ranked Oklahoma State squad (6-3, 3-3 in Big 12) with them.

It was from his parents that Neal learned that strong people can overcome the adversity in their lives. He remained determined he could embody that. It’s part of why he believed in the Kansas program.

And as Neal reflected on getting 224 rushing yards and 110 receiving yards in one game, his list of thanks didn’t stop with his parents. It lengthened to include those on the team with him, like the offensive linemen and wide receivers who helped him accomplish his record feat. Neal showcased the leadership and humility that have made him such a valuable figure in the locker room.

“A lot of people are telling me,” said Neal, referring to a mention of how historic his performance was, “but … I’ve given my kudos to those guys who helped it get done. So, that’s all up to them and they got it done.”

The Jayhawks don’t have any public commitments yet for its 2023 recruiting class or 2024 recruiting class who hold the homegrown prestige a prospect like Neal once did. Leipold and his coaching staff are continuing to lay the foundation to make something like that possible. What Neal is accomplishing, and what Kansas is accomplishing, could help accelerate the change of that sort of reality.

Neal has said it before — local guys ask him questions about what it’s like with the Jayhawks. Now he can point to Saturday, this foundational victory against Oklahoma State, as an example of what it’s like for him and could be like for them. His story doesn’t have to be an anomaly.

“Consistent change and that is starting to show itself,” Leipold said. “We know it’s showing in a lot of other areas, and again it’ll show its way as we get through the rest of this season and into December and January.”

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Devin Neal is at the center of Kansas football’s renaissance