On Saturday, Syracuse football held its annual spring game. On Sunday, the Orange staff was expected to host an elite transfer on an official visit to the Hill.
Per a post on X from top national writer Chris Hummer of 247Sports and CBS Sports, four-star transfer prospect Julian Neal, a cornerback at fellow Atlantic Coast Conference school Stanford, was set to officially visit the 'Cuse on April 13, which is awesome news.
Stanford CB transfer Julian Neal is set to take an official visit to Syracuse on April 13, his father tells @247Sports/@CBSSports.
— Chris Hummer (@chris_hummer) April 13, 2025
Neal, who ranks as the No. 1 available defensive player in the portal, played for Fresno State last season.https://t.co/mWwgKJheKe pic.twitter.com/Sg06vN9Kun
I had noted in a column on Saturday that Syracuse football was among the college squads showing an interest in the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Neal, according to a recent post on X from top national analyst Adam Friedman of Rivals.com.
Others reportedly displaying some level of interest in Neal, who hails from San Francisco, include California, Southern California, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida State, Virginia Tech, Kentucky, Georgia Tech, Missouri and Mississippi State, among others.
Hummer, in his post on X, wrote in part that Neal "ranks as the No. 1 available defensive player in the portal."
News recently broke that Neal planned to enter the portal. The spring transfer portal window will officially run from April 16 to April 25, although players are allowed a 30-day window to enter the portal following a head-coaching change, which occurred at Stanford in late March.
Syracuse football may want to add to its defensive backs room ahead of the 2025 season.
When I wrote this article on Sunday morning, in its national transfer rankings, 247Sports placed Neal as four stars, No. 70 overall and No. 4 at cornerback.
During the most recent campaign, Neal was a standout junior at Mountain West Conference school Fresno State, which went 6-7 overall. Per that team, in the 2024 season, Neal generated 35 total tackles, 22 solo tackles, five tackles for a loss, one sack, two interceptions and six pass breakups.
He would enter the portal last December and transfer to Stanford. But then late last month, Cardinal head coach Troy Taylor was fired and replaced, on an interim basis for the 2025 term, with former NFL boss Frank Reich. That likely prompted Neal to decide to hit the portal again, and I assume he has one year of collegiate eligibility left.
Amid spring practices winding down and the transfer portal window opening up, I'll keep an eye on any players on the Orange roster who may elect to depart the program (or transfer into the 'Cuse). Looking ahead to the 2025 stanza, the defensive-backs position group for Syracuse football certainly has intrigue and talent, but it is also young.
For example, my colleague Chuck Fiello recently penned a nice piece on true freshman and four-star commit Demetres Samuel Jr., who could end up playing both defensive back and wide receiver for the Orange.
Without question, a guy like Neal could add veteran experience to this 'Cuse position group, and it's encouraging that he was planning to officially visit the program on Sunday.