Curt Neal
Curt Neal
Wins his gap play after play. Across four seasons and two programs, three head coaches: Jim Leonhard, Luke Fickell and Bret Bielema. One game to point at: 3 tackles against Northwestern — Week 14, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
Career Arc
Coaching Lineage · 2022–2025
1 coachPlayed his entire career under Bret Bielema.
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
Splits & context
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Bret Bielema
Awards
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 1 · 2-deepR04 · Rotational
Rotational. Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 5 · 2025
W 34–32
vs USC
3 TOT · 1 SOLO
Edged out USC at home in a shootout.
How he plays
Play style
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Illinois
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive line · Illinois
Returning around him
- 3 Illinois players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -8 net (19 in / 27 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Illinois · Last season: 9-4 (AP #23) · Talent rank #64 · 2026 recruiting class #24
DNA match
Player DNA
Two-Gap Base
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Shannon Forman’s 2021 season.
Matches Shannon on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Markus Clark's senior season at Liberty (2025).
Matches Markus on
Differs from Markus on