LAWRENCE – Kansas freshman Devin Neal has been named the Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Week, the Conference Office announced on Monday, becoming the first Kansas freshman to ever win the award.
Neal propelled the Jayhawks to a dramatic 57-56 win over the Texas Longhorns on Saturday, rushing 24 times for 143 yards and three touchdowns. Neal also scored through the air on a 19-yard pass from Jalon Daniels. Neal finished with two receptions for 26 yards and a touchdown.
Neal’s impressive showing makes him the first player in college football this season to have 140+ rushing yards, three-plus rushing touchdowns, 25+ receiving yards and at least one receiving touchdown in the same game. He is the first player since Tulane’s Cameron Carroll (Sept. 26, 2020) and first true freshman since Tulane’s Matt Forte in 2004 to accomplish such a feat.
Neal, of Lawrence, is also the first Jayhawk to have three rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown in the same game since at least 2000.
While becoming the first Kansas true freshman to win the award, Neal is just the 10th Jayhawk to ever be named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the week and the first since Carter Stanley won the award in 2019 for his 415 yards passing and three touchdowns against Texas Tech.
Through 10 games this season, Neal leads the Jayhawks in rushing with 648 yards and seven touchdowns on 144 attempts. Neal has recorded three games of over 100 yards, coming against Duke (107), Oklahoma (100) and Texas (143).
Following Kansas’ big win against Texas, the Jayhawks will be faced with another road test this week when they travel to Fort Worth, Texas to take on the TCU Horned Frogs. Game time is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.