Todd McShay Dishes On Vols RB Rajion Neal
By Zach Ragan
September 29, 2012; Athens, GA, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back Rajion Neal (20) rushes for a touchdown in the first half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay took to Twitter on Friday to discuss a few draft prospects, among them happened to be Vols senior running back Rajion Neal.
Neal will enter his final season with the Vols as the teams lead running back, as he did in 2012.
Last season Neal rushed for 708 yards on 156 carries, for a 4.5 yards/carry average. He also caught 19 passes for 149 yards, including four receiving touchdowns.
Neal will be sharing carries with junior Marlin Lane, who was recently reinstated to the team, and redshirt freshman running back Alden Hill, who had a great spring with Lane out.
Here’s what McShay had to say about Neal and his outlook for this season and also as a potential NFL player.
RB Rajion Neal (@Vol_Football) is an interesting prospect. Excited to see how he plays in 2013. Versatility in pass game is a BIG plus.
— Todd McShay (@McShay13) June 7, 2013
RB Neal shares some ON FIELD similarities with Isaiah Pead (Bucs). Pead is a bit quicker but Neal is a bit bigger/stronger.
— Todd McShay (@McShay13) June 7, 2013
If Neal (@Vol_Football) protects the ball and holds up physically, he could be surprisingly productive(even w/ M. Lane back from suspension)
— Todd McShay (@McShay13) June 7, 2013
It’s ironic that McShay compared Neal to Isaiah Pead (who actually plays for the Rams, a mistake McShay corrected), because Pead of course was Butch Jones’ running back at Cincinnati. I’m not sure if McShay had that in mind when he made the comparison, but regardless it bodes well for Neal and his outlook for 2013.
As McShay mentioned, even with Lane in the picture (and Alden Hill for that matter), Neal should still be in line for a big season. His game suits Butch Jones’ offense very well, and his receiving skills will take him even further.
The Vols running game is nothing to sleep on this year, and could surprise some folks.
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