Illinois linebacker T.J. Neal took to Twitter on Tuesday to announce his intention to transfer to the University of Auburn for his senior season.
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Next Chapter in my life. ! !@FootballAU @SEC pic.twitter.com/z0SPhUOMdD
— Tyrone Neal Jr (@Tneal52) February 16, 2016
Neal will be eligible to play in 2016 pending his graduation in the spring.
Neal has the potential to be an immediate impact player for Auburn, as he is an extremely skilled linebacker. He had 106 total tackles (14.0 TFL) and two sacks last year for Illinois, a defense that ranked in the middle of the Big Ten in 2015. Neal also had 98 tackles as a redshirt sophomore in 2014.
For Auburn, it's a big pickup, as they could use the talent to improve on defense. Despite what was hoped to be an improved year with Will Muschamp as defensive coordinator, the Tigers still finished near the bottom of the SEC in total and scoring defense.
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