Standout recruit Davonte Neal to take official visit

Top 2012 wide receiver/cornerback recruit Davonte Neal will take an official visit to Arizona this weekend, according to a tweet from ESPN.com’s Jamie Newberg, citing Neal’s father.

Neal is ranked as the No. 8 overall recruit in the 2012 ESPNU 150, and comes in as the No. 1 ranked athlete in the class of 2012.

The Scottsdale, Ariz., native hails from Chaparral High School and is considered the state’s top recruit by the Arizona Republic. In addition to Arizona, other schools in contention for 5-foot-10, 175-pound receiver includes Oklahoma, Arkansas, Notre Dame and North Carolina. Rivals.com reported that Ohio State has pulled out of the running.

In 2011, Neal garnered 35 total touchdowns as he caught 62 balls for 1,113 yards, rushed for 1,317 yards on 100 carries and had 641 yards on punt and kick returns.

It is unclear what position Neal would play were he to attend Arizona, but his explosiveness— he runs a 4.47 40-yard dash according to ESPN.com— suggests a future as a receiver, or at the very least, a returner on special teams.

The Wildcats chances of getting Neal to commit to play in Tucson are increased due to the presence of two of Neal’s Chaparral High School teammates. Defensive end Dylan Cozens announced his decision to enroll at UA today, choosing Arizona over Boise State and Washington. Arizona Republic All-Arizona selected linebacker Cody Ippolito, who is Neal’s best friend, announced on Monday his commitment to the UA.

Also, Chaparral’s head coach, Charlie Ragle, was recently hired to be a part of head coach Rich Rodriguez’s staff as an administrative assistant.