Profile: Rajion Neal
Position: Running Back
Location: Tyrone, Ga. - Sandy Creek
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 202 pounds
Speed: 4.49
Recruiting: Neal really went through the recruiting process very quietly. He always liked Mississippi State, but Louisville, Kentucky, and a few others gave him something to think about as well. After taking one last visit to Starkville he knew MSU was where he wanted to be. He talked things over with his family before the visit and knew before he arrived that he was going to be a Bulldog.
What to Like: There is a lot to like about Neal because he is really a total running back. He has a chance to really move up the rankings this season with a strong senior year after being overly impressive time and time again over the spring and summer. He is in great condition, he has improved his feet, his change of direction, and his initial burst out of the backfield over the past six months. Neal is a back that can run with power behind his pads and he can also be graceful to the edge and get to the corner. He has good leg drive and he is as hard of a worker as you will find. His hard work has paid off not only for him, but it will pay off for the Mississippi State Bulldogs too. He has good hands out of the backfield, he is an inside/outside back, and he will be an every down back in Starkville.
What may be of concern: Neal still needs to work on his top end speed. He has improved that burst, but he still needs to show that he can outrun fast linebackers and prove that he is a threat to take it to the house when he touches the football. He is more fluid now than he was a year ago, but he can still improve the wiggle in his hips, his lateral movement, and use his hands more. He is a strong runner with good strength, but he does not use the stiff arm much to fight off defenders and he has the chance to do that many times to get extra yards. He can also improve his overall production - in 2008 he averaged 4.6 yards a carry, so he improve on that as well.
Overall Analysis: He is one of the most improved prospects I saw this summer and he will make a move this fall in the rankings. He has just improved many facets of his game and has become much more of a threat when he gets the football. He has shown better balance, better quickness, and most importantly more explosiveness. Neal is not going to be a speed back at Mississippi State, but he is going to be a strong back that has better than average speed. His hands will help him be a productive receiver out of the backfield as well.
