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Notre Dame recruit Davonte Neal is transfering to a Phoenix high school during the second semester of his senior year.
Wide receiver and cornerback Devonte Neal chose Notre Dame as his school of choice back on February 21, ending an overly long wait for the Fighting Irish. He already got plenty of attention out of taking so long to make his decision and eventually doing it at his old elementary school after ditching a media session for 'personal reasons', but now the athlete from Scottsdale, Arizona has made another, we'll say, interesting choice.
AZcentral.com reported on Monday that Neal has officially withdrawn from Chaparral High School, and coach Dave Huffine confirms it in the article.
It's a strange move for Neal to say the least, since he's going to need to graduate from a high school in one way or another -- or at least get a GED or similar degree -- if he wants to go to Notre Dame.
For more on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, check out One Foot Down. For more on NCAA football in general, head to SB Nation's NCAA hub at sbnation.com/NCAA-Football.
Davonte Neal, a four-star athlete from Scottsdale (Ariz.) Chaparral High School, committed to play football at Notre Dame after a curious delay in his announcement.
Neal was expected to announce his decision Tuesday morning at his former elementary school, where hundreds of students had assembled to hear the news. Neal, apparently torn between his favorite school, the University of Arizona, and his father's choice, the University of Notre Dame, showed up hours late, after the students and cameras had dispersed.
Eventually, Neal arrived at the elementary school, apologized to the heartbroken students, and announced his decision to attend Notre Dame. According to SB Nation College editor and analyst, Bud Elliot:
Neal chose from finalists Arizona, Notre Dame, North Carolina, and Arkansas. In addition to those four, Neal held offers from Ohio State, Florida, and Oklahoma. Neal is 5'9 and 170 pounds and is rated four-stars by most recruiting services. He can play slot receiver or cornerback at the next level. Neal was impressive during the Under Armour All-America Game practices in Orlando.
Given the loss of all-world wide receiver Michael Floyd to the NFL Draft, Neal's commitment to the Fighting Irish is a big boost for Brian Kelly and the Notre Dame offense.
For more on Irish football, visit Notre Dame blog One Foot Down, plus SB Nation Indiana.
Well, this is new.
In a twist on the Davonte Neal recruiting story, the four-star receiver/athlete didn’t show up to the news conference that he had scheduled for 11 a.m. EST on Tuesday. Among the first to break the news was Daily Wildcat writer Nicole Dimtsios, who tweeted:
It’s official: Davonte Neal is not showing up to this press conference.
— Nicole Dimtsios (@nicoledimtsios) February 21, 2012
There was an entire area elementary school who was in attendance, awaiting Neal’s decision. (Here is a picture.)
A storyline to emerge on Twitter is that Neal wants to go to Arizona, but his father wants him to go to Notre Dame. There is no way at this point to substantiate those reports — nor when Neal will make his decision.
The best way to follow this story, and to get a laugh, might be to punch “davonte neal” into Twitter and see what pops up.
Check out One Foot Down for updates, as well as SB Nation’s college football page.
Four-star recruit Davonte Neal will make his college choice Tuesday at 11 a.m. Eastern.
The 5-10, 175-pound Neal is believed to be leaning toward either Arizona or Notre Dame. Neal is from Scottsdale.
Neal’s announcement will be broadcast live here.
Neal is listed by Rivals.com as a wide receiver and by Scout.com as a wide receiver and cornerback. He has a 4.4 40 and is believed to be capable of playing on either side of the ball at the next level.
Notre Dame’s 2012 class was hit hard by defections, which could both free up playing time for Neal but also make his landing elsewhere that much tougher to stomach for the Irish. Wide receiver Deontay Greenberry, who had said he was South Bend-bound, ended up signing with Houston, while defensive end Ken Ekanem, another candidate for ND’s 2012 class, ended up signing with Virginia Tech.
After firing Mike Stoops in the middle of a forgettable 2011 season, Arizona is now coached by Rich Rodriguez, formerly of Michigan and West Virginia.
Check out One Foot Down for more Notre Dame recruiting and football.
Notre Dame Recruiting: Davonte Neal Switches High Schools
After news came out earlier this morning that Notre Dame signee Davonte Neal withdrew from his high school, Rivals is now reporting that Neal will be transferring to a Phoenix high school.
This odd decision to transfer during the second semester of his senior year comes in the wake of curious circumstances regarding Neal's decision to attend Notre Dame. Neal planned on announcing his choice at his former elementary school in front of an assembly of students. Neal, however, showed up hours late when the assembled students had dispersed before he finally chose to attend Notre Dame.
For more on Irish football, visit Notre Dame blog One Foot Down, plus SB Nation Indiana.
Feb 27 5:43p by Tommy King