Purdue lands commit from portal DL from Illinois
Purdue has added a needed piece to its defensive line, getting a commitment from Illinois’ Curt Neal.
The 6-0, 310-pound Neal will have one year of eligibility. The native of Cornelius, N.C., is the ninth Purdue 2026 portal pledge and second interior d-line commit in this portal cycle, joining North Carolina Central’s Wisdom Simms.
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He spent the first three years at Wisconsin, playing in 29 games, starting 13, with 45 tackles, 4.5 TFLs and half a sack. Neal spent 2025 at Illinois, where he started eight of 12 games played with 16 tackles and half a sack.
His best season was 2024, when Neal made 12 starts for the Badgers with 29 stops, 3.0 TFLs and half a sack. Neal’s 29 tackles led all Wisconsin d-linemen.
Neal missed his senior prep season at Hough High with injury; he was a three-star Rivals recruit.
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