Marcus Neal
Marcus Neal
Plays like an extra linebacker near the line. This is his second year in the same secondary at Iowa State. One game to point at: 9 tackles against BYU — Week 9, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
Career Arc
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
Splits & context
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Jimmy Rogers
Awards
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 2 · StarterR07 · Impact starter
Impact starter. Tackle volume for the position among the most productive regulars.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Iowa State | 77 | 40 | 11.0 | 1.0 | 3 | 2 | -- |
| 2024 | Iowa State | 18 | 6 | 1.0 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 95 | 46 | 12.0 | 2.0 | 3 | 2 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2025
W 16–13
vs Iowa
2 TFL · 1 SACKS · 5 SOLO
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 3 at home.
How he plays
Play style
Lives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Iowa State
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive back · Iowa State
Returning around him
- 1 Iowa State player drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -7 net (48 in / 55 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Iowa State · Last season: 8-4 (AP #22) · Talent rank #71 · 2026 recruiting class #54
DNA match
Player DNA
Box Safety
Lives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Mike Brown’s 2021 season.
Matches Mike on
Differs from Mike on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Myles Graham's sophomore season at Florida (2025).
Matches Myles on
Differs from Myles on