KANSAS

Devin Neal Upstages Heisman Trophy Favorite Travis Hunter to Win National Honor

Neal continues to stockpile accolades after leading the Jayhawks to an upset of Colorado.

Rich Cirminiello

Nov 23, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas running back Devin Neal (4) reacts after scoring a touchdown during the 3rd quarter between the Kansas Jayhawks and the Colorado Buffaloes at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images
Nov 23, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas running back Devin Neal (4) reacts after scoring a touchdown during the 3rd quarter between the Kansas Jayhawks and the Colorado Buffaloes at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images / Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images
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Red-hot Kansas put the Big 12 Conference in the spin cycle with Saturday's 37-21 upset of Colorado.

Nine Big 12 teams are still mathematically alive to reach Arlington. Oddly, the Jayhawks are not one of them, despite three consecutive wins over ranked league opponents.

Neal has been the offensive catalyst as 5-6 Kansas has battled back from a demoralizing 2-6 start to pull within one more win from bowl-eligibility.

The Jayhawks' all-time leading rusher took his game to another level Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium. He ran for a season-high 207 yards and three touchdowns on 37 carries, while also leading the passing game with four receptions for 80 yards and another score.

For accounting for 287 total yards and four touchdowns, while outperforming Colorado's Travis Hunter, the heavy Heisman Trophy favorite, Neal has been honored as the Maxwell Award Player of the Week.

The Maxwell Football Club honors college football's top performers throughout the season, culminating in the December announcement of the Maxwell Award for college football's most outstanding player.

Neal and the Jayhawks return to action this week to face surging Baylor in Waco.

If Kansas can snap the Bears' five-game winning streak Saturday, it'll become bowl-eligible, giving Neal one more game to pad his school marks for career touchdowns and yards on the ground.

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Rich Cirminiello
RICH CIRMINIELLO

I've been the VP of College Awards for the Maxwell Football Club since 2008. I oversee and manage all aspects of the Maxwell Award (CFB Player of the Year), Bednarik Award (Defensive POY) and Munger Award (CFB Coach of the Year), including creating watch lists, steering the selection committee and choosing players of the week. I appear weekly on SportsGrid TV to discuss college football, both as a guest and a co-host of various live shows. I oversee and manage two additional college awards, outside the purview of the Maxwell Football Club - former Seattle Seahawk RB Shaun Alexander's Freshman of the Year Award & the Buddy Teevens Award, which was created by Peyton Manning, Archie Manning and Omaha Productions in honor of the late Dartmouth coach. I'm contracted out each May by Phil Steele to help edit the magazine and write select articles leading up to the publication of his annual College Football Preview in June.

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