Purdue Football – 2026 Countdown to Kickoff – #92 –

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MADISON, WI - OCTOBER 26: Wisconsin Badgers defensive lineman Curt Neal (92) tries to pump up the crowd after a 3rd down stop during a college football game between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Wisconsin Badgers on October 26th, 2024 at Barry Alvarez field inside Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, WI. (Photo by Dan Sanger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Curt Neal​

*Note: Name links to official Purdue Bio.

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Bio​

Position: Defensive Tackle

Height: 6’0”

Weight: 310

Hometown: Cornelius, North Carolina

High School: William A. Hough

Recruiting Class: 2022

Former Team(s): Wisconsin / Illinois

Eligibility Remaining: 1 Season

High School Recruiting Rankings: Rating (88.5) – National Rank: 459 – Position Rank: 53

Transfer Portal Rankings: Rating (87.9) – National Rank: 405 – Position Rank: 48

High School​

• Senior Season Stats: Missed due to Injury – Junior Stats: 32 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 3 sacks
• Career Stats: 97 Tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 8 sacks
• Notes:
  • First Team All-State as a Junior
  • Honorable Mention All-State as a Sophomore

High School Highlights​

View Link

College Career​

2022 – Wisconsin​

• Appeared in 4 games
• 3 tackles
• Redshirt

2023 – Wisconsin​

• Appeared in 13 games with 1 start
• 13 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss

2024 – Wisconsin​

• Started all 12 games
• 30 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack

2025 – Illinois​

• Appeared in 12 games with 8 starts
• 15 tackles, .5 tackles for loss

College Highlights / Interviews​

2026 – Season Outlook​

Starter: Defensive Tackle

Thoughts​

Losing Chops Harkless to the portal was a tough offseason pill to swallow, but bringing in a seasoned Big 10 vet to plug the gap softens the blow a little. While Chops has NFL upside as a nose guard, Neal better fits the 4-man front Purdue will utilize this season.

The Boilermakers are hoping that 2024 Curt Neal shows up in 2026 to give the front 4 a boost. I’m not sure why he fell off at Illinois last season, but Kevin Kane didn’t hesitate to bring him in as the presumptive starter at defensive tackle for the Boilermakers. Look for Purdue to utilize more twists and stunts on the inside this season, which looks like one of Neal’s specialties. Coach Odom and Kane want to put more defenders in the opposing backfield, and an active defensive tackle like Neal is a solid start.

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