Virginia needed to address the secondary in a major way in the transfer portal this month, and they got their first pledge on Sunday, when Louisville safety Devin Neal chose the Hoos. Neal began his career at Baylor, and played at Louisville in 2023, before playing four games this season and redshirting, preserving his eligibility to make this move.

Neal is an experienced player who has been productive throughout his career. Neal recorded 41 tackles in his final season with Baylor in 2022, before his breakout year in 2023, when he was third-team All-ACC. Neal finished the 2023 season with 74 tackles, second on the team, including 47 solo stops. The Lexington, Kentucky native recorded four of his six career interceptions last year as well, including two picks in their win over Notre Dame. Neal helped lead the Cardinals to the ACC title game in the first year under new head coach Jeff Brohm.

Neal is rated a three-star transfer prospect in the Rival Portal, and is #64 in the portal rankings, the highest-ranked commit for the Hoos thus far. Neal had interest from Nebraska and other programs since entering the portal. Out of high school, Neal was a three star prospect.

Simply put, UVa is losing a lot in the secondary and need immediate help. Jonas Sanker is done with the Hoos and he leaves incredibly large shoes to fill. Sanker has been a tackle machine from the safety position and despite playing in a defense that rarely created takeaways, Sanker was a player that seemed to make things happen. We’re not trying to say that Neal is going to be as productive in the orange and blue as Sanker, or replace him, but Neal is the type of player that UVa needed to add.

UVa needs a lot more in the secondary than just one player, and Neal was one of two commits in the secondary on Sunday, along with Morgan State cornerback Ja’Son Prevard. At a minimum, based on the fact that he’s played in the ACC at a high level, Neal should be able to compete for playing time along with whoever else gets brought in, and the returners in the secondary. UVa could also get a boost from his leadership skills, as Neal has been around two programs that have won, and has played a lot of meaningful football.

It seems that Neal needed a fresh start, which is why he opted to end his 2024 season early and seek a new opportunity. Neal was a very productive player in 2023, but wasn’t used as much, or in the same fashion, this fall. It was Neal’s final year of eligibility, and it seems he made a calculated decision to redshirt and keep a year of eligibility, so he didn’t use up his final season in a smaller role than he hoped for. Neal ended up finding a landing spot in the same conference, so if nothing else, he gets another opportunity to finish his career strong.

The move also makes sense given UVa’s need for help in the secondary. Virginia’s defense often plays three safeties, and with Sanker, Corey Thomas and others departing, Neal has a clear path to meaningful playing time. That doesn’t mean it’s a guarantee, but given his experience, Neal would be a likely bet to have some significant role on this defense.

It seems silly to pencil any transfer in as a starter, with very few exceptions. Neal seems like a quality addition that is a top-100 player in the Rivals Portal for a reason. Most transfers aren’t sure things and teams have to either bet on potential or fit making a difference. But Neal has a very solid amount of production in the ACC, and that provides some level of trust in ability.

We expect Neal to certainly be in the two deep heading into the 2025 season, with a solid chance to be a starter at safety, at a minimum, Neal should be a solid, rotational piece. At his best, as he showed in 2023, Neal can be an all-conference performer in the secondary that makes a lot of tackles and can create takeaways.