Syracuse, N.Y. — For Moe Neal, his second visit to Syracuse was the clincher.
Neal, a speedy, versatile athlete from Forestview (Gastonia, N.C.) High School, had checked out SU once before, but only briefly on a trip to see the Orange play then-No. 1 Florida State last season.
He’d kept in close contact with Syracuse running backs coach DeAndre Smith, his primary recruiter, as well as other SU staff members through the process.
But it wasn’t until he toured the full campus, saw the new indoor practice facility and spent significant time with current players and coaches on a July 16 visit with his father that Neal was fully hooked on SU.
He announced his commitment to the Orange, over other finalist Wake Forest, at a ceremony on Aug. 1.
“I just felt like Syracuse was a home for me,” Neal said during a phone interview on Sunday. “At the time when I went up there on the second visit, I had a great time with the coaches and players. I felt like I could see myself there.”
The 5-foot-11, 170-pound Neal seems like an excellent fit for the hybrid position in Orange offensive coordinator Tim Lester’s offense. He’ll be asked to line up on the wing, in the slot and in the backfield and contribute as both a running and receiving threat.
He’s already comfortable operating out of the slot and has taken jet sweeps from the wing and more traditional carries from the backfield at Forestview.. He carried the ball 273 times for 2,018 yards and 29 touchdowns as a junior, according to MaxPreps.com, while adding 35 receptions for 549 yards and another nine scores. Over his three years of high school ball, Neal has accounted for 74 touchdowns.
Neal said Syracuse and Wake Forest were “neck and neck” heading into his SU visit two-plus weeks ago. But by the time he returned to WFU’s campus a week ago, his decision was all but final.
“I really had my mind and my heart made up that I wanted to go to Syracuse,” Neal said, adding that he felt he owed the Demon Deacons a chance to give a final pitch.
With the recruiting process over, Neal is switching his focus to his senior season. He’s working hard this offseason to fine-tune his game and add a little muscle in preparation for matching up against Atlantic Coast Conference linebackers.
He’d like to see Forestview take home a state title in his final go-round but doesn’t plan on being there in the spring to celebrate.
Neal is in the process of enrolling early at Syracuse. He plans to arrive in January with a handful of other 2016 commits, including friend and running back Robert Washington and quarterback Rex Culpepper.
“I already know the next level is going to be a different story,” Neal said. “Guys are going to be just as fast as me so I’ve just got to prepare the best I can.”
Neal said he’s hoping one more Charlotte-area star joins him and Washington in Central New York.
Independence (Charlotte, N.C.) High School defensive tackle Christian Colon committed to Penn State in late June. He was initially planning on announcing a decision in November but sped up the process as he realized spots were filling up, Neal said.
Now, Neal’s trying to convince Colon to take a trip up to see Syracuse. Colon has a friendship with Neal and Washington that dates back to middle school, and the three have long considered playing together in college.
“He said he would like to take a visit up there,” Neal said. “We’d all like to play with each other.”
The curveball in this situation: Penn State will pull Colon’s scholarship if he takes an official visit to another school, Neal said.
So for now, Neal is just looking forward to sharing a unit with Washington again. The two have teamed up on USA football in the past with Washington manning the backfield and Neal the slot.
And maybe, when national letters of intent are signed in February, the Orange will have a 6-foot-3, 325-pound run-stopper joining its two new playmakers coming up from North Carolina.
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