Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 44-19vs Indiana State | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | L 36-38vs Wake Forest | 4 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.5 | — | 0 | Season-high 4 tackles |
| Total | 5 | 3 | 1.5 | 0.5 | — | 0 |
#92
Curt Neal
Senior defensive lineman for Purdue. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′0″ · 310 lb · Cornelius, NC
CFB Index 34 · #239 of 330 interior linemenLow confidenceTransferred Illinois → Purdue for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
The numbers
0.5
sacks · 2026
1.5 TFL · 5 tackles
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 0.5 sacks, 0.5 TFL, 4 tackles, vs Wake Forest
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 defensive lineman for Purdue. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Wisconsin in 2022.
- Transferred from Illinois to Purdue in 2026.
Curt Neal
Wins his gap play after play. Across five seasons and three programs, four head coaches: Jim Leonhard, Luke Fickell, Bret Bielema and Barry Odom. One game to point at: 4 tackles, 0.5 sacks against Wake Forest — Week 2, 2026.
5 TACKLES · 0.5 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
5 programs, one constant: he played.
2022
- Signed with Wisconsin3-star out of Hough
202510 games
The role got bigger.
- Entered the portal
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
3 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
3 coachesPlayed under 3 different head coaches: Jeff Brohm, Ryan Walters, and Barry Odom. Multi-era developmental context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Purdue
2025Illinois
2026Purdue
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2022Wisconsin7-6HC: Jim Leonhard · Run-heavy
2023Wisconsin7-6HC: Luke Fickell · Balanced
2024Wisconsin5-7HC: Luke Fickell · Run-leaning
2025Illinois9-4HC: Bret Bielema · Run-leaning
2026Purdue1-1HC: Barry Odom · Balanced, fast tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Low confidenceFading
Concern: tackles (0th percentile).
Box-score production (6)
Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 2.5 TKL/g, 0.8 TFL/g, 0.2 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Barry Odom
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Rotational
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
34 · #239 of 330 interior linemen
Three-star recruit. Now #239 at the position.
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 44–19
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Two-Gap Base
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
IDL
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Shannon Forman’s 2021 season.
Matches Shannon on
Weight
Hurry rate
TFL rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Markus Clark's senior season at Liberty (2025).
Matches Markus on
Class year
Weight
TFL rate
Differs from Markus on
Hurry rate (higher)
Player DNA
Players who play like Curt Neal
The defensive line · Purdue
- #94Rodney Lora4 tackles for loss · 2025
- #40Ian Jeffries3 tackles for loss · 2025
- #8C.J. Madden2.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #58Breeon Ishmail2 tackles for loss · 2025
- #92Curt Neal0.5 tackles for loss · 2025
18 more on the roster · Purdue team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology