Syracuse Orange football won a critical ACC recruiting battle Saturday when three-star hybrid Moe Neal verbally-committed to join SU in 2016.
Moe Neal commits to Syracuse.
— Deacons Illustrated (@WakeRivals) August 1, 2015
VIDEO: Forestview RB @Captainmoe21_ is taking his talents to Syracuse pic.twitter.com/Yl3AW8l2iN
— Phillip Gardner (@GazettePhil) August 1, 2015
The Forestview High School (NC) RB/WR is rated three stars by ESPN, Rivals and 24/7, who also ranks him as 2016's No. 38 athlete in the nation. Neal carried the ball 273 times for 2,018 yards and 29 touchdowns in his junior season. He also caught 35 passes for 549 yards and nine touchdowns. In three seasons of high school ball, he has 74 total touchdowns. He's doing very well.
Noel had included Syracuse in a top five in May, which also included Duke, Wake Forest, Boston College and Mississippi State. He then apparently shortened that list to SU and Wake Forest, choosing today as his announce date. Neal visited SU (along with recent commit Jamal Holloway) two weeks back.
Not everyday you get to talk to a Hall Of Fame Player. The Great Floyd Little pic.twitter.com/16KWR0kfEM
— Moe Neal (@Captainmoe21_) July 16, 2015
Neal joins RB Robert Washington and QB Rex Culpepper in one of the most potentially-exciting backfields that SU recruiting has seen in a long time. Neal and Washington are actually good friends and might end up bringing more folks with them. He's already committed to Penn State but it's worth considering that three-star DT Christian Colon grew up playing with Neal and Washington and said "he'd really have to look at Syracuse" if Neal committed. Now he has, so perchance he will..
Update: According to his parents, Neal plans to enroll early.