From the late great Gale Sayers to John Riggins, the Kansas Jayhawks have produced running backs that have gone on to successful careers at the next level; in the case of Sayers and Riggins, Hall of Fame careers. In this discussion, senior Devin Neal is the latest in a long list of great Jayhawks running backs. This upcoming season, not only does Neal have the chance to make history, but he can also help his team reach the next level of success.
Perhaps part of the reason for his decision to return was the chance of making history. Currently sitting fourth on the Jayhawks all-time rushing list with 3,077 yards, Neal needs 764 more yards to become the program's all-time leading rusher. In addition to this, Neal needs only six more touchdowns to break June Henley's all-time total touchdown mark of 42.
Beyond breaking program records, the Jayhawks themselves have all the potential in the world to become Big 12 contenders. Coming off a 9-4 season in 2023, the team will have one of the top quarterbacks in Jalon Daniels to help lead their offense, assuming he stays healthy. In addition to Daniels, the Jayhawks offense will have a platoon of talented receivers, led by senior Lawrence Arnold, who led the team in receptions and receiving yards last season.
As for Neal, his contributions to the team over the last two seasons have elevated his team's status from their porous 2-10 record in 2021. This year's Big 12 conference is slated to be more competitive than it has been, especially with the Utah Utes migrating over from the now-defunct Pac-12 conference. What is certain is that Neal will be doing a lot of heavy lifting to help guide his team to a conference title. Even if no records are broken, his name is already etched in Kansas history.
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