Arizona's DaVonte' Neal discovers new passion with shift to cornerback
TUCSON, Ariz. -- There may be a time down the road when DaVonte' Neal reflects on his football career and says, "I should have moved from offense to defense a long time ago."
If that turns out to be the case, well, that'll be a good thing for the fourth-year junior who's still trying to find his sweet spot with the Arizona Wildcats.
"It's why I'm over there," said Neal, who earlier this year asked to move from receiver to defensive back. "DB is a passion for me. It's where I want to be. It's not that offense didn't work, but my love is somewhere else (now). And it's on defense."
Sometimes first-loves don't work out and second ones do. That's Neal's hope.
Neal's natural athletic ability should help with the transition to cornerback, where the Wildcats have a young and mostly untested group of players headed by sophomores-to-be Jarvis McCall (the most seasoned) and Cam Denson. Others in the mix are freshmen Jace Whittaker and Devin Brewer and sophomore Kwesi Mashak.
Progress will come in small steps and a few hundred quick backpedals. One doesn't learn a whole new position overnight, but through more than 10 spring practices -- and the rest of this week and summer to improve -- Neal is headed in the right direction for what he hopes is a life-changing decision to move from pass catcher to catch preventer.
"It's been good," Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez said of Neal's switch. "He's learning. It's all new in what he's learning."
Rodriguez joked the one big difference is Neal is running about a 1/3 less than what he used to as a slot receiver.
"His legs are much fresher," Rodriguez said.
Neal, a 5-foot-10 ball of energy from Scottsdale Chaparral, is having fun playing the position while he learns coverages and techniques.
It's not like he doesn't know some, having played the position in high school. He had six interceptions at Chaparral and had some feelers from colleges to be a defensive back. Instead, he went to Notre Dame, was lightly used as a punt returner/receiver, transferred to Arizona and sat out in 2013.
Last year -- amid high expectations -- he was a bit player on what was a loaded receiver corps. He finished with 27 catches and just two touchdowns.
"It wasn't a disappointment because we had a great season," he said. "It's not about personal accolades . . . it is in some aspects, (but) we went 10-3 (before the Fiesta Bowl loss to Boise State) and that's a great season, and that's all that matters."
Cornerbacks coach David Lockwood said Neal's athletic gifts mean half the battle is won. "He can backpedal. Even though he hasn't done it in a while, he can change direction and do it all."
Now, Lockwood said, it's about getting used to tackling and "getting your eyes in the right place."
Rodriguez, who recruits many players who can player either side of the ball, says those on defense have to have to be naturally aggressive. No problem, says Neal.
"I play on my toes, and I live in the moment," Neal said. "If I see something I go get it. I'm not afraid to make the tackle. I'm not timid; you can't play that way."
Lockwood is glad to have him in the mix.
"He's an athlete," Lockwood said. "You could see it when we'd flip the positions and put the receivers as DBs (in practice). You could see that, hey, this guy has a chance. He just has to get used to going backwards."
In the case of Neal, it looks as if backpedaling is in his best interest to move forward.
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