'12 AZ WR Davonte Neal (Arizona Transfer)

Emcee77

Emcee77

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magogian said:
Weird. He said he will pick a favorite from the first 4 schools he visits, and then he will decide between that school and Arizona. Huh?
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Does that mean he wants to have a favorite picked out by the time he takes his post-signing day visit to Arizona, so that he can make an immediate decision after he finishes the Arizona visit? That would be my guess but sometimes these kids are not that articulate.
 
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magogian

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Emcee77 said:
Does that mean he wants to have a favorite picked out by the time he takes his post-signing day visit to Arizona, so that he can make an immediate decision after he finishes the Arizona visit? That would be my guess but sometimes these kids are not that articulate.
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He seemed to say that Arizona is automatically in his final two. So, it will come down to Arizona vs. some other school. Which school would be on top is anyone's guess.
 
Dacian_Irish

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irishtrinity said:
No.. 5 star is all i need to know....Updated list
1. Armsteads
2. Poole
3. Neal
4. Yuri
5. Nelson
6. Darby

If i could pick just three Poole, Neal, Nelson DARBY i'm dreamin about...
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You picked four though. lol...

I would take these four more than any others also. We need play makers more than lineman at this point.
 
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cbrinks5

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I'm from Columbus and a lot of the fans here think he is a buckeye. I think they are just expecting to get everyone now since Urban has been getting kids left and right.
I hate Urban with burning passion and I hate him even more that he took the tOSU job. I'll tell you one thing Neal is just the start of many battles Kelly and Urban will have. I'll tell you right now Kelly is going to have to start winning games and I mean lots so he can compete with Urban.
If we get Neal I will be jumping in joy. Neal is game breaker. Every time he touches it he can take it to the house. I want this kid so bad. It would be even better to take a kid of this caliber from Urban and shock all those OSU fans here. I would love to see this kid in Blue and Gold and I think we have a great shot with this kid.
 
stlnd01

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Reading that post about his visit to Arkansas reminded me. Our perceptions of what makes for a top-quality university and the perceptions held by 18 year-old stud high school athletes can be wildly different. Part of me hates to always be mom's favorite, but on the other hand, at least mom has some experience in this world, and maybe is more likely to appreciate what a Notre Dame has to offer.
This kid sounds pretty wide open. He also sounds like a big-time ballplayer. Go Alford. Beat Buckeyes.
 
Sherm Sticky

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I thought Neal would end up a tOSU, but I'm getting a Manti feeling about his decision :)
 
irishtrinity

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Whiskeyjack said:
Trinity also has a Sh!t List. God help you if you're on it.
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of 5 stars look at the guys i wanted for the last two yrs all BEASTS!!! My top pick last yr The Kraken.... This yr J. Jones lets see how that works out....

Speed+talent= great players Neal need to be Blue and Gold..
 
A

ab2cmiller

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A couple of thoughts regarding Neal.

I originally thought getting Gunner would potentialy help getting Neal, but as it relates to Neal's recruitment, it could actually end up hurting us since Fuller dropped us after Gunner's commit and replaced us with Arizona and is taking his last OV visit to Arizona as we speak and if RR manages to get his commit, it could greatly increase the chances of Neal staying home.

The other item that I found this morning that was a little curious is that Neal's teammate Alex Dickman OL(which appears to have no offers) accompanied Neal on his OV to pOSU. Asst coach Stan Drayton is having in home visits with BOTH Neal and Dickman today. I know OSU is still wanting some addtl OL commits but I found this surprising. I don't know if Neal is close with Dickman or not.
 
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Grahambo

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ab2cmiller said:
A couple of thoughts regarding Neal.

I originally thought getting Gunner would potentialy help getting Neal, but as it relates to Neal's recruitment, it could actually end up hurting us since Fuller dropped us after Gunner's commit and replaced us with Arizona and is taking his last OV visit to Arizona as we speak and if RR manages to get his commit, it could greatly increase the chances of Neal staying home.

The other item that I found this morning that was a little curious is that Neal's teammate Alex Dickman OL(which appears to have no offers) accompanied Neal on his OV to pOSU and pOSU asst coach Stan Drayton is having in home visits with BOTH Neal and Dickman today. I know OSU is still wanting some addtl OL commits but I found this surprising. I don't know if Neal is close with Dickman or not.
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I'm probably arguing semantics here but I am sure it wasn't that he dropped us as much as we stopped recruiting him.
 
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ab2cmiller

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Pretty good article about Davonte and his Dad Luke. After reading quite a few message boards in Arizona, you get the impression that many there think Davonte's Dad is a terrible guy. This article definitely sheds some positive light on the family.
Father of top football recruit Davonte' Neal making amends

Three days ago, a black Escalade pulled up to the Scottsdale home of Chaparral High standout Davonte' Neal and delivered three members of the University of Notre Dame coaching staff, including head coach Brian Kelly. Hours earlier, an assistant from Ohio State was there for a visit.

It's heady stuff for a teenager who takes a "Toy Story" backpack to school every day.

The recruitment of the 5-foot-10, 175-pound Neal, who could play wide receiver or defensive back in college, is a fascinating look at the courtship of a much-coveted football star and contains an equally intriguing subplot: a father's attempt at repentance for past mistakes.

"It's very important to note I was a deadbeat dad," Luke Neal said. "I want that to be known. I didn't take care of my responsibilities then. I'm trying to do that now."

He sees part of that responsibility as assisting Davonte' in the recruiting process.

The player returns from an official trip to Arkansas Sunday night. He already has visited Notre Dame and Ohio State and will head to North Carolina and Arizona in the next few weeks. He plans to take an unofficial visit to Arizona State.

In addition to the Fighting Irish, he had house visits last week from Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez and members of North Carolina's staff.

Luke Neal's visibility in the process has attracted some critics. He is not afraid to comment on Davonte's journey and acts as a liaison between the college recruiters and his son. He found himself under scrutiny two years ago when a parent said former Cesar Chavez coach Jim Rattay and Neal recruited their son to play there, allegations both denied. Davonte' Neal had played at Cesar Chavez before transferring to Chaparral.

Luke Neal, 43, said he simply is trying to give his son the best opportunities available, as well as make up for his absence during Davonte's childhood.

"I'm here for him now," he said.

Luke Neal had a difficult upbringing. His mom left when he was young and he was raised by his grandmother.

"One of my great accomplishments in life is that I made it through growing up in south-central Los Angeles and lived to tell about it," he said.

He was a troubled teenager and a lost young adult. Even after Davonte' was born, he didn't stay in touch with his son's mother.

"It's a vicious cycle young African-American males goes through," Luke Neal said. "We do this, and we have to stop. I'm doing everything I can to be the right father now."

When Davonte' was 9, Luke reached out to his son's mother, who was living in Akron, Ohio, with hopes of connecting with his son. Luke was in a soul-searching place. He had coached at Dorsey High in Los Angeles and at several junior colleges but was looking for more in his life.

He spent two week with Davonte' in Akron. After he left, the young boy asked his mom, Kito Williams, if he could come to Arizona and live with his dad.

After feeling confident Luke could handle the responsibility, she said OK. Davonte' flew to Phoenix, and as soon as he stepped off the plane, Luke started crying.

"I thought, 'Oh, my God, I'm going to be a parent,'" he said. "I think for the first time I had found true love.

"I don't think people realize how much I love my son. In the past, it was easy for me to pick up and leave because that's the hand I was dealt."

Luke cried as he retold the story.

At the airport, Davonte' looked at his father and then looked for a box. Luke had promised him a new PlayStation.

"It was there," Davonte' said. "I was happy."

Williams moved out soon after so the parents could offer their son a unified support system.

Luke worked at a variety of places -- including a finance agency and a car wash -- but he still struggled at times. For several months, he lived in a friend's U-Haul truck without anyone knowing.

He would borrow the truck from a friend who owned a mail store in Ahwatukee, saying he needed to move some things. He would pick up Davonte' from middle school and drop him off at Williams' home. He would park at the far end of the complex she lived in and sleep in the truck at night. He would pick up his son in the morning and take him to school before returning the truck.

No one ever knew.

Davonte' embraced his father's love for training. When Davonte' was in fifth grade, Luke brought him to USC for then-coach Pete Carroll's football camp. Davonte' was named MVP ... of the eighth-grade group.

The player continued to blossom, and the attention from recruiters picked up. This season at Chaparral he rushed for 16 touchdowns, caught 14 more and recorded 31 tackles this season.

"I'm so proud of who (Davonte') has become," Williams said. "He's grown into a young man. And I applaud his dad. The two have kind of grown up together."

Davonte', 18, said his dad has taken him back to Los Angeles to give him a reality check.

"I'll see his friends' kids, and they're gang-banging and all this type of stuff," Davonte' said. "He says, 'This is what I don't want for you.' He always tells me, 'Don't make the same mistakes I made.'"

And he staunchly defends his dad's involvement in the recruiting process.

"It's made everything so much easier for me," he said.

Luke is adamant that Davonte' "saved my life." He said he attempted suicide several times in his past because he felt so lost. Davonte' has given him a purpose. Therapy, which he said he still undergoes, has helped, too.

"We still have our struggles, make no mistake," Luke Neal said. "But I feel so blessed to be a part of his life."

Read more: Father of top football recruit Davonte' Neal making amends
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connor_in

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ab2cmiller said:
A couple of thoughts regarding Neal.

I originally thought getting Gunner would potentialy help getting Neal, but as it relates to Neal's recruitment, it could actually end up hurting us since Fuller dropped us after Gunner's commit and replaced us with Arizona and is taking his last OV visit to Arizona as we speak and if RR manages to get his commit, it could greatly increase the chances of Neal staying home.

The other item that I found this morning that was a little curious is that Neal's teammate Alex Dickman OL(which appears to have no offers) accompanied Neal on his OV to pOSU. Asst coach Stan Drayton is having in home visits with BOTH Neal and Dickman today. I know OSU is still wanting some addtl OL commits but I found this surprising. I don't know if Neal is close with Dickman or not.
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MAN...doesn't Meyer have like 45 kids committed this year over there? 42 of which we committed to ther schools as of 12/1/11?
 
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koonja

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JKuehn1 Jacob Kuehn
@ISDUpdate What do you put NDs chances with Arik Armstead and Devonte Neal? Thanks again for the updates!
4 minutes ago

Irish Sports Daily
@JKuehn1 Check out this link: irishsportsdaily.com/forums/showthr…


2012 Remaining Targets
 
irishfanjho15

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GregBiggins via Twitter
#OhioState head coach Urban Meyer was in Neal's house earlier tonight and the Buckeyes are in a good position with the athlete right now
 
irishfanjho15

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GregBiggins via Twitter
#Oklahoma now a serious player for AZ ATH Davonte Neal, family is close with new Sooner coach Tim Kish, who came in for a HV Tuesday
 
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