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Auburn visit is ‘dream come true’ for Illinois grad transfer
By Jessi Lee
Published:
Fighting Illini LB T.J. Neal is scheduled to graduate this May, and he is looking for a school at which he can finish out his eligibility.
Neal had a monster season at Illinois, racking up 109 tackles in 2015, but he and the coaching staff are butting heads on a position switch. The new coaching staff wanted to move Neal from the inside linebacker position to strong side linebacker position.
“It was a smack in the face when the position changed,” Neal said. “I just didn’t agree with it.”
So he started putting out some feelers, and he took a chance by sending some video to Auburn.
“I sent my film down there, and they said they like it a lot,” Neal said.
According to al.com, the Pennsylvania native has expressed his excitement about the opportunity.
“Being able to play down there in Alabama, it’s like a dream come true,” Neal said. “From my high school, I never thought I’d play at a big-time school like Auburn. To have a chance now, it’s exciting to play against some of the top players in the country.”
Neal still hasn’t made a definite decision yet. He will be visiting West Virginia early next week before heading south to visit Auburn on February 15.
