4-star OT Neal on UM: "It's almost one of those perfect fits to be honest"

4-star OT Neal on UM: "It's almost one of those perfect fits to be honest"

Stefan Adams

Comments (337)

Really weird thing I just noticed when looking at Stevenson's ranking.....right now he's #11 overall on 247. There's 10 5-stars, so obviously he's the highest ranked 4 star. I remembered in the past around this time of year thinking they don't have a lot of 5-stars, so I went back and looked at previous years. Starting in 2013, they have EXACTLY 32 5-stars per class. Exactly 32. For 6 years in a row. WTF?? Have I been living under a rock and this is common knowledge? Cause otherwise that's kinda ridiculous. There's no chance in **** they evaluated exactly 32 5-stars for the past 6 years in a row.

Yeah it's been like that for while now.
 
I do not think he meant anything by it, man. Seems like he is saying you are more dedicated a fan than many people who actually attended The U. I could be mistaken, but I read it more as a compliment than an insult.

I understand some UM fans are rightly sensitive to this subject because of the garbage F$U/UiF fans spew that "most Miami fans never attended the school" and their feeble attempts to use that fact as a dig at our fanbase. It's such an elitist and stupid perspective, as it necessarily means you can only be a fan of college football if you went to college. But it's just those fans' weak rationalization for the fact their schools sit in the middle of two completely garbage towns.

Personally, I graduated from The U (c/o 2004), but UM has been my team since age 5 when I went to my first game. I don't care whether you went to UM or not as long as you support the program. We have a lot of local alumni that don't show up to games, or even watch on Saturdays from abroad. As an alumnus who is painfully aware of how many UM alumni still live in South Florida but never show up for games, I will happily roll with the guys who show up and support the team (no matter where their degree is from).

EDIT: And we do have a beautiful campus. Lots of open spaces and a Mediterranean design that makes the campus feel even bigger than it is. If you can get down there, it's worth it just to walk around (and make sure you visit the intramural fields mid-day on a sunny day).


I don't know about Mediterranean... It's an eclectic mix of different styles with lush tropical landscaping. I understand Hurricane Andrew did a number on the landscaping in 1992 and, even in it's current beauty, it doesn't compare to the work Tad Foote's wife did with the gardening.
 
I will agree with you on that. Not every **** kid in the country is getting tempted with “gifts”. It’s a very small percentage of kids and our fans just need to realize we are just flat out missing on some of these guys. It happens and we don’t need to make excuses of “BAGS” every **** time!

You have no idea what percentage are being offered gifts, and it’s not an excuse but a reality.
 
Neal coming I’m not worried about him. **** CMR & staff might just pull out the bus & suits like they did for Donaldson just to put the icing on the cake
 
You have no idea what percentage are being offered gifts, and it’s not an excuse but a reality.

There’s roughly 13,000 Division 1 football players. I would say a small percentage is accurate.
 
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There’s roughly 13,000 Division 1 football players. I would say a small percentage is accurate.
A kid like Neal especially after his performance will be offered something by some school. You have to be dilisional to think otherwise. Whether or not he is receptive to such overtures is an entirely different matter.

And no one said every kid is being offered something. But you better believe the top kids are. You think Georgia had the top class just bc kids luv Kirby Smart? Miami is not missing out on plan B guys. When we do miss its on the elite and no not every time it has to do strictly with bags (but it does play a part). Some kids just aren't feeling Miami bc of the last putrid decade or certain coaches. Miami ain't for everyone. It takes a certain type of kid to come to Miami. However, if everything is equal and one school is offering bags
.. Well you know how that goes....
 
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Really weird thing I just noticed when looking at Stevenson's ranking.....right now he's #11 overall on 247. There's 10 5-stars, so obviously he's the highest ranked 4 star. I remembered in the past around this time of year thinking they don't have a lot of 5-stars, so I went back and looked at previous years. Starting in 2013, they have EXACTLY 32 5-stars per class. Exactly 32. For 6 years in a row. WTF?? Have I been living under a rock and this is common knowledge? Cause otherwise that's kinda ridiculous. There's no chance in **** they evaluated exactly 32 5-stars for the past 6 years in a row.

From the 247 website:

100 - 98 = Five-star prospect. One of the top 30 players in the nation. This player has excellent pro-potential and should emerge as one of the best in the country before the end of his career. There will be 32 prospects ranked in this range in every football class to mirror the first round of the NFL Draft.
 
Really weird thing I just noticed when looking at Stevenson's ranking.....right now he's #11 overall on 247. There's 10 5-stars, so obviously he's the highest ranked 4 star. I remembered in the past around this time of year thinking they don't have a lot of 5-stars, so I went back and looked at previous years. Starting in 2013, they have EXACTLY 32 5-stars per class. Exactly 32. For 6 years in a row. WTF?? Have I been living under a rock and this is common knowledge? Cause otherwise that's kinda ridiculous. There's no chance in **** they evaluated exactly 32 5-stars for the past 6 years in a row.
Eventually 32 will end up as 5 stars. I think that’s a system they implemented a few years ago. It’s supposed to resemble the 32 first rounds picks.
 
Not to sound like a broken record around here, but sounds like a kid who sees the perfect situation in Miami, but the decision still isn’t a lay up because other programs pay him.
 
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If Searles lands Neal and/or Wright/Thomas, what is the perception of Searles after that? Clearly one of our better recruiters on the staff, no?
He honestly hasn’t been doing a bad recruiting I just want to see him put it together on the field
 
UM has always had the most beautiful campus. You guys who haven’t been to campus think it was some rundown ghetto before Rick got here. We might not have had the garbage distractions that schools in the middle of nowhere like Clemson need, but we have always had an incredibly beautiful campus.

You can walk from Mahoney to Schwartz in 10 minutes. Probably a 5 minute walk from the new housing area which overlooks Osceola. University Green is beautiful. Then you walk over to McLamore Plaza and I defy anybody to tell me a prettier location in the country.
 
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You can walk from Mahoney to Schwartz in 10 minutes. Probably a 5 minute walk from the new housing area which overlooks Osceola. University Green is beautiful. Then you walk over to McLamore Plaza and I defy anybody to tell me a prettier location in the country.

Plus the neighborhood where the campus is situated is beautiful. Right in between downtown Coral Gables and downtown South Miami, 15 minute drive from the beach. The only other P5 campuses that compare are UCLA and Stanford. If you live down here like me you tend to take it for granted.
 
I don't know his personal family situation, but his uncle Willie Gary is one of the richest lawyers in America.

Hopefully no one will play the S$C bags angle if he doesn't choose UM.
 
Plus the neighborhood where the campus is situated is beautiful. Right in between downtown Coral Gables and downtown South Miami, 15 minute drive from the beach. The only other P5 campuses that compare are UCLA and Stanford. If you live down here like me you tend to take it for granted.

The immediate neighborhood is still very nice. I told my son that yes, he can get to Key Biscayne in 20 minutes. South Beach is a clip because of traffic. Told him he will like Venetian Pool. He really liked the Grove.
 
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Hopefully no one will play the S$C bags angle if he doesn't choose UM.

The usual people that always blame bags when we miss out will for sure, that’s the reason for everything to them
 
I don't know his personal family situation, but his uncle Willie Gary is one of the richest lawyers in America.

sh*t just realizing he is related to them. If so they are well off. My old man is friends with those Gary brothers.
 
He honestly hasn’t been doing a bad recruiting I just want to see him put it together on the field
I think we will... no matter how good most olineman are, very few are legit day 1 starters. It takes a few years, I at least hope we see it on the field lol
 
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