Iowa has signed three-star running back Nathan McNeil. As shared via Iowa social media channels, the Tampa, Florida product is officially a Hawkeye.
McNeil chose Iowa over offers from Arkansas State and Rhode Island, as well as reported interest from Iowa State, Louisville, Michigan State, Houston, and more.
McNeil is one of the more under-the-radar recruits in Iowa's 2025 class, as evidenced by his modest offer list and his lack of state or positional rankings. The 5'11" running back, who was one of the most recent commitments in this class for the Hawkeyes, verbally committing to Iowa just a month ago, possesses significant upside, though.
Getting an offer from a Power 4 program like Iowa was a big payoff to the work McNeil had put in during his prep career, especially his breakout senior season. "It feels good knowing that all the hard work I put in has come into use, and people are actually starting to see what I can do," he told us. "So, it feels good."
His relationship with Iowa running back coach Ladell Betts also played a major role in his decision to choose the Hawkeyes.
"Coach Betts and I were on the phone, and we were chopping it up," he said. "I could really see how he really is as a coach, and that just made my decision easier. I feel like he's a great coach. He's a good person, too, so that kind of made me want to commit."
"I don't think any of those schools, any of the coaches, could compare with Coach Betts and the relationship that we have," he said. "That's the main thing, relationship with coaches. That's what I look for."
Connecting with the other running backs at Iowa, particularly Jaziun Patterson, a fellow Tampa native, helped McNeil make his decision as well. "To know that people are there that came from the same place I came from, it makes it easier for me to be comfortable going there and stuff like that," McNeil said about his connection with Patterson. "Jazz is one of the main guys I've talked to."
Speed is definitely the first thing that stands out about McNeil's game on film. He shows great quickness to get to the edge or to a hole and he displays impressive separation from defenders in the open field. He also has the shiftiness to make defenders miss and does a good job of slipping out of tackle attempts. His hands and ability in space make him a clear weapon on screen passes or check-down throws as well.
"They see me as how TJ (Washington) is," McNeil told us. "He's a slot guy and a running back. They see me as being versatile, like kick return and all that stuff. Coach Betts asked me about if I [do] punt returns, too. So they can see me playing everywhere on the field. I like that because that's how I play right now at Wiregrass."
McNeil finished with 1,072 yards on 140 carries (7.7 ypc) and 17 rushing touchdowns, while also adding 483 yards and six touchdowns on 21 receptions (23.0 ypc) as a receiver.
