McNeill gives verbal commitment to UNL
By DALTON WALKER
September 07, 2005
Seven of California’s best high school football players invaded Lincoln this past weekend but it was Kirkwood, Mo. native Mike McNeill who gave the Cornhuskers a verbal commitment for fall 2006.
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound tight end said he knew before his official visit Saturday that he wanted to be a Husker for the next few years. But he wanted to come to Nebraska to make the commitment official.
McNeill, according to rivals.com, is the second best tight end in Missouri and 32nd in the nation. He is a three-star player on rivals.com’s five-star scale. No tight end on the list has more than four stars.
Larry Frost, the head football coach at Kirkwood High School, praised McNeill for his athletic ability.
“He has great athleticism,” Frost said. “But he’s got room to grow yet. I think he’s going to be bigger. He’s filling out real well. He will have no trouble carrying 245 pounds.”
McNeill said he might redshirt his first season but his on-field ability will help the Huskers whether it’s his first or second year.
“I can help out on receiving and blocking,” he said. “I can be a deep threat. I have the ability to catch the ball and move with it.”
Memorial Stadium and the fan support the Huskers receive on game day were some of the selling points McNeill said.
“A crazy crowd,” he said of the 77,000 plus fans in attendance Saturday. “I really liked the atmosphere; it was awesome. The players were going crazy.”
But what satisfied McNeill was the former professional coaching staff and the campus football facilities.
“The coaching staff is turning the program around,” he said. “It (Nebraska) felt right for me. They were my first scholarship offer.”
McNeill turned down offers from Missouri, Wisconsin, Colorado, Kansas, Indiana, and Texas Tech to join a recruiting class that has seven early commitments including wide receiver Menelik Holt, a three-star player from San Diego, who also committed to Nebraska this past weekend.
California’s highly touted outside linebacker Allen Bradford was also on campus but he did not say what his future plans were. His teammate Shareece Wright, a defensive back, was also in Lincoln.
Bradford is one of 27 five-star players. He is ranked sixth in the nation for all players and ranked first in his position.
Safety Jonas Mouton, wide receiver Anthony Houston, running back Major Culbert, and cornerback Devin Ross, all of California, were also in attendance Saturday.
McNeill might not have been the most recognized recruit Saturday, but according to Frost, he is one of the smartest he has coached.
“He has his head on his shoulders,” Frost said. “He’s smart, he runs well, pretty versatile. I asked him to narrow his decision before the season. Nebraska was his first choice.”
