Louisville Safety Devin Neal Leaves Team

The Baylor transfer earned Third-Team All-ACC honors in 2023.

U of L's Devin Neal (27) broke up a touchdown pass attempt to Virginia's Grant Misch (85) during their game at the L&N Stadium in Louisville, Ky. on Nov. 9, 2023. / Sam Upshaw Jr./Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville football program has lost a crucial piece of their secondary at an inopportune time.

Safety Devin Neal has left the team, the program announced less than an hour before they are set to face SMU. He is expected to enter the transfer portal.

As a result, Louisville's already thin secondary gets a touch thinner. Star corner Quincy Riley had to miss last week's game at Notre Dame, and is a game-time decision today vs. the Mustangs. Corners Corey Thornton and Tahveon Nicholson have also been banged up over the last couple weeks.

Neal joined a transfer from Baylor ahead of the 2023 season, and instantly made an impact. Playing in all 14 games while starting 13, the 6-foot-0, 210-pound safety wound up leading the team in interceptions with four, was second in tackles with 74, and also finished with 3.0 tackles for loss, six pass breakups and a fumble recovery. He earned Third-Team All-ACC honors.

The Lexington, Ky native was expected to be another significant contributor for Louisville's secondary, but had came off the bench in all four of Louisville's game's up to this point. He logged nine tackles (five solo) before leaving the Cardinals.

Neal was a key part of Baylor's safety rotation in 2022. Playing in 11 games this season with seven starts, the 5-foot-11 and 201-pound safety logged 41 total tackles (31 solo), 2.0 tackles for loss, a sack, two interceptions, a forced fumble and a pass breakup. The lone game he did not play in was Baylor's regular season finale at Texas.

During his three seasons with the Bears, Neal collected 67 total tackles (50 solo), 3.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks, two picks, two forced fumbles and a pass breakup. Playing his high school ball at Frederick Douglass, he was ranked as the No. 9 prospect in the state of Kentucky according to 247Sports.

Kickoff vs. SMU is set for 12:00 p.m. EST.

(Photo of Devin Neal: Sam Upshaw Jr. - Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK)

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