LAWRENCE, Kan. – Following a historic Senior Day performance in Kansas’ 37-21 victory over No. 16 Colorado, KU senior running back Devin Neal has been named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week. The award was announced by the league office on Monday.
Neal carried the ball a career-high 37 times for 207 yards and three touchdowns, while adding 80 yards and another touchdown on four receptions. This is the second time in his career that Neal has scored four total touchdowns, first since Nov. 31, 2021 at Texas, and the fourth time he has scored at least three touchdowns in his career, first since Nov. 18, 2023 at Kansas State. The 207 rushing yards is the second-highest total for Neal in his legendary career, trailing only a 224-yard rushing day in KU’s 37-16 win over No. 18 Oklahoma State in 2022.
In the game, Neal surpassed the 1,000-yard rushing milestone for the 2024 season, becoming the first player in Kansas football history to rush for more than 1,000 yards three times in his career. Neal has now rushed for 1,133 yards and 15 touchdowns this season. His yardage total is good for the sixth-highest single-season total in program history and his touchdown total is No. 4 in school history for a single season.
KU’s all-time leader in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns and total touchdowns, Neal added to his historic marks on Saturday. His current career totals are 4,210 yards, 48 rushing touchdowns and 52 total touchdowns. The game also marked Neal’s 19th career game with more than 100 rushing yards, which is also a school record. Additionally, Neal is now No. 3 in school history for career receptions by a running back with 76.
Nationally, Neal is tied for the lead among active FBS players with 48 career rushing touchdowns, which matches the mark of Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty. Neal is No. 2 among active power four running backs for career rushing yards, trailing only Tahj Brooks of Texas Tech. Neal entered the game ranked No. 10 in Big 12 history for career rushing yards and passed Oklahoma’s Adrian Peterson and Samaje Perine and Kendall Hunter of Oklahoma State to move No. 7 in conference history. He is also 10th in league history for rushing touchdowns.
This is the fourth career Big 12 weekly honor for Neal and third career player of the week nod. He was previously named player of the week on Nov. 15, 2021, following KU’s win at Texas and Nov. 7, 2022, after the Jayhawks home win over Oklahoma State. He was also named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on Oct. 25, 2021, for his performance during a matchup with Oklahoma.
Neal becomes the third Jayhawk to earn Big 12 weekly honors this season, joining senior cornerbacks Cobee Bryant and Mello Dotson. Bryant received the honor on Oct. 21 after matching the single-game school record with three interceptions against Houston, while Dotson was honored on Nov. 11 after recording his fourth career interception returned for a touchdown versus Iowa State.