ARIZONA FOOTBALL

NCAA: Notre Dame transfer Neal ineligible in 2013

Sep 9, 2013, 11:55 PM | Updated: 11:56 pm

Former Scottsdale Chaparral High School star DaVonte’ Neal will likely have to wait until fall 2014 to suit up for the Arizona Wildcats.

UA head coach Rich Rodriguez announced at his weekly press conference Monday that Neal, who filed for a hardship waiver with the NCAA to play immediately after transferring from Notre Dame, had his appeal denied.

Rodriguez said the UA will apply for a final appeal, but “it doesn’t look good” for Neal to be declared eligible for any part of the 2013 season. Neal still has a redshirt year available.

“That’s a little disappointing — more than a little disappointing,” Rodriguez said. “I could go into great detail, but I don’t want to waste y’all’s time on what some of my opinions are on some of the NCAA’s rulings.”

Neal, a 5-foot-10, 176-pound sophomore receiver, applied for a hardship waiver on the basis that he left Notre Dame to be closer to his girlfriend and newborn daughter. The university filed for the appeal at the beginning of August and waited more than a month for a ruling.

Neal recorded just one catch as a freshman, but served as the primary punt returner for a Fighting Irish team that played for the national title.

“The only thing I’ll say about some of the things with the NCAA is they’re consistent with being inconsistent,” Rodriguez said. “Now with this last ruling to come down, I’m not overly optimistic simply because I don’t understand some of the inconsistencies of the NCAA.

“We’re all frustrated by it and disappointed, but DaVonte’ has a great attitude about it and he’ll have three years of eligibility left starting next fall.”

Comments

Comment guidelines: No name-calling, personal attacks, profanity, or insults. Please keep the conversation civil and help us moderate comments by reporting abuse.
comments powered by Disqus

Arizona Football

University of Arizona president Dr. Robert Robbins...

Arizona Sports

University of Arizona president Dr. Robert Robbins to step down

University of Arizona president Dr. Robert Robbins has been involved in the hires of Jedd Fisch, Tommy Lloyd and Brent Brennan.

16 days ago

Wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan #4 of the Arizona Wildcats celebrates with Noah Fifita #11 after ca...

Arizona Sports

ESPN’s Rittenberg: Arizona Wildcats’ QB room ranks 10th in nation

Led by the final Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Noah Fifita, the Arizona Wildcats' quarterback room was ranked 10th in the nation.

1 month ago

Grand Canyon forward Duke Brennan...

Vincent DeAngelis

Duke Brennan uses inspiration from family and high motor to propel GCU basketball

Grand Canyon's Duke Brennan has strong Arizona connections and comes from a family of athletes in Colt and Brent Brennan.

1 month ago

Jordan Morgan...

Arizona Sports

Arizona OL, potential 1st-round pick Jordan Morgan shows off speed at NFL Draft Combine

Arizona left tackle Jordan Morgan had the opportunity to show off his speed and athleticism at the NFL Combine on Sunday.

2 months ago

Jacob Cowing...

Arizona Sports

Arizona’s Jacob Cowing shows off elite speed at NFL Scouting Combine

NFL Draft prospect Jacob Cowing from Arizona put up one of the fastest 40-yard dash times among wide receivers at the combine.

2 months ago

An empty podium is seen at the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by...

David Veenstra

What to watch for: 2024 NFL Scouting Combine schedule, preview and more

The NFL Scouting Combine begins this week in Indianapolis. Here's a complete guide for college and professional fans across Arizona.

2 months ago

NCAA: Notre Dame transfer Neal ineligible in 2013