James Neal III

James Neal III grew up outside of Atlanta with his parents. He was a basketball-focused athlete for much of his childhood, including at Grayson High School and playing club ball for ECL Elite. But with a future in college basketball not looking likely, he gave in to the requests from the football coaches to join the team at Grayson for his senior year — and convinced his parents, who had steered their son away from the sport. He started out at tight end before moving to the offensive line and helping Grayson to an undefeated 14-0 record and the 2020 Class 7A state championship. With only one year of football experience, he went underrecruited and enrolled at Independence (Kan.) Community College for the 2021 season. He started to receive FCS and FBS interest, then finally received a major college offer (Iowa State). He was part of the starting rotation over the past three seasons for the Cyclones, including at left tackle for all 12 games in 2025. Neal has a tall, moldable frame with above-average length. He is at his best in the run game, when he can burst into contact and use his heavy hands as weapons to create movement. He torques defenders at contact and finishes with a competitive mean streak. He has adequate feet in pass protection, although his posture and body control break down quickly. Iowa State sources say he is a “bright guy” who is willing to do “whatever the coaches ask him to do,” which gives pro teams optimism for his upside. Overall, Neal is still noticeably raw with his timing and technique, but he offers functional power and movement ability worth developing at both tackle and guard. 255 Back to table of contents -- 259 of 629 --