Nick Saban discusses improvement he’s seen from Evan Neal
By Keith Farner
Published:
Evan Neal came to Alabama with big expectations, and somehow, he’s living up to them and then some.
The 6-foot-7, 360-pound freshman has started every game this season at left guard, and according to Pro Football Focus, against Tennessee, Neal had a 73.8 overall grade, including a 72.1 pass-blocking mark and a 74.0 run-blocking mark. After he allowed four pressures in his first two games, Neal has gave up just 3 in his past 5 outings.
“I think it’s been a steady progression all the way from camp through each game,” coach Nick Saban said at a press conference this week. “I think he’s gotten better and better. I think he’s — we talked about knowledge, but I think his knowledge and experience, as it improves his confidence level grows. And I think he plays faster, makes less mental errors and probably executes more efficiently. And hopefully, he can continue to do that throughout the rest of the year.”
Neal was a 5-star offensive tackle by all major recruiting outlets and one of the top players in the state of Florida. He was the No. 4-rated offensive tackle in the country, the No. 1 offensive tackle and No. 3 player in Florida on the 247Composite. The Okeechobee, Florida native played at IMG Academy in Bradenton.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
