Oklahoma State lands top-100 DL Keilan Neal from Tennessee

Franklin Road Academy defensive lineman Keilan Neal committed to Oklahoma State on Oct. 17, selecting the Cowboys over offers from Kansas State, Tulane, Iowa State, North Carolina and Maryland. The announcement came via a social media post.

The 247Sports Composite ranks Neal as the No. 101 defensive lineman nationally in the Class of 2027 and the No. 34 overall recruit in Tennessee. He visited Stillwater during the Oct. 10 weekend. Oklahoma State beat UCF 42-28 that Saturday.

Head coach Eric Morris secured his first commitment from the state of Tennessee since taking over the program. Historically, Oklahoma State has leaned heavily on Texas and Oklahoma for its recruiting classes. Landing a Nashville-area prospect signals an attempt to widen that geographic footprint under the new staff.

Neal measures 6-foot-2 and 280 pounds. He plays both ways for Franklin Road Academy. The Panthers hold a 5-3 record through nine weeks of the TSSAA football season.

His junior campaign produced numbers rarely seen from interior linemen at the high school level. According to The Tennessean, Neal logged 65 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and eight sacks last season. Those statistics earned him All-Midstate Large Class First Team honors. The TSWA and TnFCA both named him all-state after he helped push FRA to a state runner-up finish.

He does not limit himself to the gridiron. In May, Neal won the DII-A state championship in the shot put at the TSSAA track and field state championships, according to The Tennessean. Explosive power events like the shot put frequently correlate with success in the trenches at the collegiate level, where raw strength translates directly to pass-rush leverage.

Harrison Campbell covers high school sports for The Daily Herald and The Tennessean.