2010 Spartan Nation Football Profile: Colin Neely DE #89

 

Colin Neely enters his senior campaign looking for his best season. Photo courtesy of MSU SID.

Expectation:Â Starting DE

 

Height:  6’1”

 

Weight:Â 255#

 

2010 Eligibility: Fifth year senior 

 

EXP:Â 2 Letters

 

Status:Â Starting DE

 

Strengths: Neely is strong. When he keeps his pad level low, he can be at times an immovable object. Against Purdue there was a play that best illustrated that. With the Boilers facing a third and one at the MSU 23 in the second quarter with 11:50 left, he fought off the guard and then a FB to pinch the play and force them to go for a field goal.

 

Unfortunately, in football there are no assists. He deserved accolades for that play and holding Purdue to only a field goal.

 

Weakness: Montana State Bobcats were facing a third and two. He came off the ball and had his pad level high. He was tired. The LT simply moved him like a feather and it was a play he should have made.

 

Neely can’t allow fatigue to keep him out of technique. He is too good of a football player to do that. When he gets tired he makes mistakes like his pad level, which is normally not a big deal. With so many players, you can point to weakness like they are too small, too short, or not smart. Not Neely.  His weakness is not allowing things like fatigue, mistakes or issues going on around him to distract him.

 

Final Analysis: I like Neely. He is a likeable young man. He also can be as good as he wants to be in 2010. This is his last year. Mark Dantonio is fond of saying that seasons being great are determined by your seniors having their best seasons. Neely will be a barometer of how this campaign goes.

 

His best friend Oren Wilson is no longer on the team and I know many are waiting to see how that affects him. At the end of this season, if Neely has a big year you will know the Spartans did also.

 

Next up:Â TE Brian Linthicum