Devin Neal

Devin Marques Neal (born August 12, 2003) is an American professional football running back for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kansas Jayhawks and was selected by the Saints in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL draft.

Early life Neal grew up in Lawrence, Kansas and attended Lawrence High School. As a senior, he rushed for 1,327 yards and 20 touchdowns and was named first team Class 6A All-State. Neal was rated a four-star recruit and committed to play both football and baseball at the University of Kansas over football offers from Iowa, Kansas State, Nebraska and Oklahoma State.

College career Freshman year Neal played in all 12 of Kansas's games during his freshman season and rushed for 707 yards and eight touchdowns on 158 carries. He became the first freshman in school history to be named the Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Week after rushing 24 times for 143 yards and three touchdowns and also catching two passes for 26 yards and one touchdown. Neal finished his freshman year with 158 carries for 707 yards and 8 touchdowns rushing, along with 7 catches for 57 yards and 1 touchdown. He also played in seven games for Kansas's baseball team as a freshman.

Sophomore year

Neal was named the Jayhawks' starting running back entering his sophomore season. He was named the Doak Walker Award national running back of the week and the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week after gaining 224 yards and scoring a touchdown on 32 carries and 110 yards on six receptions in a 37-16 over Oklahoma State. Neal was the first player to have at least 200 rushing yards and 100 receiving yards in the same game and the win made the Jayhawks bowl-eligible for the first time since 2008. Neal played in all 13 of the Jayhawks' games in 2022, rushing 180 times for 1,090 yards and 9 touchdowns while adding 21 catches for 183 yards and 1 touchdown.

Junior year Neal played every game for the Jayhawks during his junior season. In a game against Nevada, Neal rushed for 89 yards and scored three touchdowns and also had a career-high 59-yard reception. Against Central Florida, Neal ran the ball 12 times for 154 yards, averaging 12.8 yards per carry with one touchdown. In the game against Oklahoma, Neal had 25 rushes for a total of 112 yards and a touchdown. Against Texas, he rushed for 137 yards on 19 carries and scored three touchdowns. He rushed 18 times against Kansas State for 138 yards and tied his career-high with three touchdowns. Neal had 10 carries against Cincinnati for 108 yards, averaging 10.8 yards per carry and scored two touchdowns in a road victory. In total, Neal rushed 203 times for 1,280 yards and 16 touchdowns, as well as 1 receiving touchdown.

Senior year Neal started every game for the Jayhawks during his senior season. In their game against #17 Iowa State, Neal passed June Henley to become Kansas' all-time leader in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, finishing the game with 116 yards and two touchdowns In his final home game, Neal had one of the defining games of his career, finishing with 287 total yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns against #16 ranked Colorado. Neal finished his career with 4,343 rushing yards and 49 rushing touchdowns, both school records. Neal graduated from Kansas with a Bachelor's Degree in Sports Management and a minor in Business.

Statistics Season Team Games Rushing Receiving GP GS Att Yards Avg TD Rec Yards Avg TD 2021 Kansas 11 8 158 707 4.5 8 7 57 8.1 1 2022 Kansas 13 12 180 1,090 6.1 9 21 183 8.7 1 2023 Kansas 13 11 203 1,280 6.3 16 25 217 8.7 1 2024 Kansas 12 12 219 1,266 5.8 16 24 254 10.6 1 Career 49 43 760 4,343 5.7 49 77 711 9.2 4

Professional career

Neal was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth round with the 184th overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft. On May 9, 2025, Neal signed a four-year contract worth $4,451,312. In a Week 14 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Neal scored his first career touchdown on a three-yard rush. He played in 10 games for New Orleans during his rookie campaign, including three starts, recording 206 rushing yards and two touchdowns along with 17 catches for 104 yards.

On August 30, 2026, Neal was placed on season ending injured reserve.

NFL career statistics Year Team Games Rushing Receiving Kick returns Fumbles GP GS Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Ret Yds Avg Lng TD Fum Lost 2025 NO 10 3 57 206 3.6 21 2 17 104 6.1 18 0 7 152 21.7 31 0 0 0 Career 10 3 57 206 3.6 21 2 17 104 6.1 18 0 7 152 21.7 31 0 0 0