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Wisconsin Football Lands DL Curtis Neal over Ohio State & Others

By Paul Bretl

MADISON, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 05: A detailed view of a Wisconsin Badgers helmet prior to a game against the Kent State Golden Flashes at Camp Randall Stadium on October 05, 2019 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MADISON, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 05: A detailed view of a Wisconsin Badgers helmet prior to a game against the Kent State Golden Flashes at Camp Randall Stadium on October 05, 2019 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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It’s been a busy week for the Wisconsin Football program on the recruiting trail, with six commitments over the past seven days, giving them seven overall in this 2022 class. The most recent was Curtis Neal, the three-star defensive tackle from William Amos Hough High School in Cornelius, North Carolina.

Neal visited Madison at the beginning of the month and recently took a visit to Columbus before deciding to commit to Wisconsin. In addition to choosing the Badgers over the Buckeyes, Neal also had offers from Alabama, LSU, South Carolina, Michigan State, USC, Penn State, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and a number of others.

According to 247Sports, Neal is the 61st ranked defensive lineman in this 2022 class and the 12th rated player in the state of North Carolina. He finished his junior season with 31 tackles, 7 of which were for a loss and 2.0 sacks.

In this Wisconsin 3-4 defense, Neal will be a nose tackle, and in a recent article by Evan Flood of Badger247, he highlights what 6’1” – 291-pound defensive lineman can add to this defensive front:

"“Neal could be one of the better playmakers that the Badgers have recruited at this position since they moved to the 3-4. The three-star defensive tackle has really good ability to spin off defenders or split double teams. At 6-foot-1, 290-pounds, Neal isn’t as athletic as some of the top nose guards UW has signed in recent memory, but he looks a little more refined as a pass rusher. Neal shows good ability to get under the OL’s shoulder pads, stand them up, and shed them aside.“"

Obviously, it’s still very early in the recruiting process, and of course, more commitments will follow, but at this time, the Wisconsin Football program’s 2022 class is ranked 49th in the nation and 12th in the Big Ten, according to 247Sports. It’s also important to note that the Badgers have the second-fewest commits in the conference — ahead of only Iowa and Purdue — which does factor into these rankings.

In-state defensive end Isaac Hamm, along with KJ Miles, Felix Hixon, and Quentel Jones, are a few other defensive linemen from the 2022 class that the Badgers have offered and have shown some interest in return.

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