Devin Neal close to breaking all-time Kansas football rushing record

While the first half of the 2024 Kansas football campaign has not gone according to plan, one of the lone bright spots in Lawrence has been running back Devin Neal. The senior from Lawrence has kept the Jayhawks in some games and continues to establish himself as a future NFL Draft selection.

Neal considered going pro following his junior year but decided to exercise his final year of eligibility for one last ride. That put him in prime position to end his time at KU ranked among some of the school's greatest rushers ever. At the season's midpoint, it appears that Neal will garner an impressive feat sometime between now and the team's final six contests.

Devin Neal on pace to break Kansas football rushing record

Neal has racked up 584 yards on 100 carries (5.8 YPC) and five touchdowns so far in 2024. This brings his career total to an impressive 3,661 rushing yards, placing him third on the school’s all-time list behind legends Tony Sands (3,777 yards) and June Henley (3,841 yards). He is inching ever closer by the week.

He surpassed the century mark in each of the first four games and accumulated 70 and 71 yards over the last two weeks, respectively. There is a strong chance that he will become the first KU running back to eclipse 4,000 career rushing yards.

Last year, Neal had his best season yet after amassing 1,280 yards and 16 touchdowns on 6.3 YPC. His tremendous showings on the ground were a large part of why Kansas finished with a 9-4 record and a bowl victory. Heading into this season, he was the only player in the Big 12 who reached 1,000 rushing yards in consecutive seasons.

Looking ahead to the Sunflower Showdown on Oct. 26, Neal sits just 180 yards away from the all-time Kansas rushing record. Given his season average of 97.3 yards per game, that milestone is within reach. A strong performance against Houston and then Kansas State would cement Neal’s place in Jayhawk history, not only as a record-setter but as a player who chose to finish his journey where it all began.