While some teams have had outstanding recruiting classes announced this week in hopes of resurrecting programs form the slums of their horrific 2014 seasons, the Iowa State Cyclones announced Friday that running back DeVondrick Nealy will not be returning to the program. Nealy, who will be a senior in the fall, was expected to earn the starting job in spring camp after a productive junior campaign. Now, he will begin his search for a new home, and the market for the junior running back’s duties remains a rather large unknown.
“We are a blue collar football program that has no excuses and no explanations,” Rhoads said. “There have been a number of dismissals and departures from our program for failing to meet these high standards and expectations. Most recently Tad Ecby, DeVondrick Nealy and Chase Onken.”
Last year, Nealy ran for 271 yards and a touchdown during his three starts, but showed flashes of brilliance especially when catching 18 passes for 161 yards out of the backfield. During his first two seasons, Nealy compiled only 239 yards and two touchdowns, but the team was relying on a big season from the senior-to-be. In Nealy’s absence, Sophomore Tyler Brown and Martinez Syria will battle it out for the starting spot; however, neither tailback has the skill set of Nealy.
The Cyclones finished the 2014 season an extremely disappointing 2-10 and must find ways to improve the roster if they hope to rebound during the 2015 calendar year. Losing a talented player like Nealy could hinder Iowa State’s improvement, however, it’s uncertain whether or not Brown and Syria can fill the void.
*Section Photo credit to David Purdy, Getty Images; Featured Photo (above) credit to Steven Branscombe, USA Today Sports
