Kansas football transfer portal: Predicting who will stay or go

RB Devin Neal: Go (NFL Draft)

It isn't what fans will want to hear, but the likelihood of him staying is not too strong. Devin Neal is one of the most dynamic talents to play at Kansas in quite some time. He is nationally recognized among the best running backs in college football. But rather than leaving for the portal, I think he'll depart for the NFL.

Brian Bosarge released a mock draft predicting Neal to go 175th in the draft. That is a pretty realistic landing spot for the Jayhawk. There are mocks that have him being selected as early as the third round. That would make him a Day 2 pick, and if scouts are promising him a selection that early, I doubt we see him back next year.

Returning to Kansas brings too many risks for Neal. He could have a down year, or even worse, get injured. Running backs don't have a long leash in the league, so it's difficult to say he "should" return. He could improve with another year at Kansas, but his pass blocking will still be an issue. I'm not sure he'd be selected much higher in the 2025 draft.

There is no denying that he loves KU and the city of Lawrence. After all, it's where he grew up. This is truly a toss-up decision, but I predict he will head off to the next level. Keep in mind I don't have any insider information — just my humble opinion.