2013 Recruiting: Keanu Neal

(OrlandoSentinel.com)

Position:  Safety

Hometown/School:  Bushnell, FL - South Sumter

Height/Weight:  6'1/205

Rivals - 247Sports - Scout - ESPN

Other Offers:  Auburn, Clemson, South Carolina, USF, Georgia Tech

Report:  Neal committed to the Gators back on Florida's Junior Day in February.  Neal joined Nick Washington as Florida's 2013 commitments at the position.

Neal is a consensus 4-star recruit and Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN all rank him in the top 25 amongst safeties in the nation.

According to his Scout profile, Neal totaled 140 tackles, 4 INTs, and forced 4 fumbles last year for South Sumter.

As you can tell my his measurables, Neal is a big safety.  Some people see Neal as an OLB, but I see him playing safety with the Gators.

To the scouting reports.

We'll start off with the opinion of Scout.com's Chad Simmons.  Simmons touches on Neal's hard-hitting style which is he is known for.

Neal is a very strong tackler and a hard hitting safety. He plays some in and out of the box, but he is best when attacking the football at full speed. His strength is against the run right now, so he will need to improve on his coverage when he gets to the next level. He will need to work on his footwork and his hip rotation. He has the size to play early and he will a hitter people talk about.

Neal was invited to compete with the best at Nike's The Opening.  With the intense media coverage around the event, there are a couple tidbits on Neal's performance that I will share.

Neal's stock was on the rise according to Rivals analyst Mike Farrell($):

Neal is a big safety with good coverage skills and solid ball skills. His deflection to save the game for his team in winning the title after getting beaten for a touchdown earlier shows me he has a short memory, something needed for a defensive back. 

InsidetheGators.com ranked Neal as the best Florida commitment/target at the camp($):

He showed there is a lot more to his game that being a "smash-mouth" safety. Neal showed great instincts in the passing game, and the scary thing is, he did all this without pads on which brings a whole new dimension to his game.

Neal has been invited to some of the biggest national prep events including Gridiron Kings and The Opening.  Fans will get the chance to see Neal play in the Under Armour All-American Game in January.

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Future Gators Previews The Opening

One of the biggest recruiting events all year will take place this weekend in Oregon.  The Opening will be loaded with talent as it will include 84 players that are in this year's ESPN 150.  Gator fans will have a lot to watch this weekend on ESPNU as seven Florida commits and other targets will be at the camp.  Below is a preview of The Opening for the Florida Gators.

There are three major parts to the Opening; SPARQ Rating National Championship, Nike 7ON, and the Elite Lineman Challenge.  Every player at the camp will compete in the SPARQ Championship which basically measures the athleticism of the recruits.  The players will then break into either the Elite Lineman Challenge or the Nike 7ON depending on their position.

Nike 7ON Preview

Six of the seven Gator commits will be participating in the Nike 7ON.  The list includes three DBs (Nick Washington, Keanu Neal, Tre' Bell), running back Kelvin Taylor, wide receiver Ahmad Fulwood, and LB Quinton Powell.  Gator fans won't have to wait long to see their recruits with six players participating in one event.  As mentioned earlier, there will be also some Florida targets at the camp, but I won't go into too much detail about them.

I'm looking forward to seeing how the three defensive backs fare against top-level talent.  Also, one of Florida's top targets, CB Vernon Hargreaves III, will be at the camp.  Hopefully fans will get to see VHIII go one-on-one with Ricky Seals-Jones, the top ranked receiver in the nation.

Quinton Powell can prove to the experts that they are wrong.  Scout lists pass coverage as a weakness for the OLB, but he'll have his chance to prove himself against the best in the nation.  OLB Alex Anzalone will also be in Oregon this weekend.  He will make his commitment this weekend at the camp (between Penn State, Notre Dame, and Florida).

Ahmad Fulwood is the only WR commit going to the camp representing Florida.  He has a good chance to get a small taste of what is to come in future years if he is guarded by one of his future teammates.  Seeing Fulwood against his friend and fellow UF commit, Nick Washington, would be great.  Is Fulwood's downfield playmaking ability as good as advertised?  We'll have to wait for the weekend.

Elite Lineman Challenge Preview

4-star DT Caleb Brantley will be only Florida commit competing in the challenge.  The Elite Lineman Challenge will contain a lot of one-on-one battles.  This will give Brantley a great opportunity to show off his strength and descriptiveness that he is known to have.

Florida is in the top five for talented DE DeMarcus Walker, who will also be at The Opening.  Walker took a trip to Gainesville just last week.

Future Gators will have more coverage of The Opening throughout the weekend.

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