Davonte Neal: Why Staying Home at Arizona Might Be the Best Thing

National Signing Day was a couple of weeks ago, but that doesn't mean every top prospect in the country has made their final decision. There is a heavily recruited player still trying to decide which team he would like to play for.

That player is cornerback Davonte Neal.

He's a 4-star recruit, but he's one of the top players at his position and is a difference-maker on the defensive side of the ball. He's a versatile player who can also play wide receiver, since he runs fantastic routes. With his speed, he could be a great return man, as well.

He's had offers from nearly every top school in the country but has narrowed the list to only four schools. We expect a decision to be made at some point on Feb 21.

Neal has narrowed his list of schools to North Carolina, Arizona, Arkansas and Notre Dame. However, reports are claiming that he has already made his decision that it will likely be Arizona.

Here's a few reasons why that would be the right decision. 

Home School

We've seen several players who have already decided to stay home. For Neal, Arizona is obviously the closest. From his home in Scottsdale, Tucson is less than a two-hour car ride away.

He'd have the best opportunity to play in front of his friends and family, which is something that plays a huge factor in a recruit's decisions. Top wide receiver recruits Dorial Green-Beckham and Stefon Diggs have decided to stay at their home schools, turning down several offers from elite programs. Neal could very well likely end up doing the same. What's more, his best friend and former teammate Cody Ippolito has recently committed to the Wildcats as well.

Rich Rodriguez

Neal is one of the more explosive players in this year's recruiting class and would really work well in head coach Rich Rodriguez's spread offense. Rodriguez is known as an offensive genius and knows exactly how to use his players and put them in the best position to succeed.

Of course there are other coaches that are great at running an offense, but none coach at Neal's home school. Another thing that could sway Neal's decision is the fact that his former high school coach Charlie Ragle is now an assistant for Rodriguez. 

Contribute Right Away

Arizona is one of the few schools that would like him to play both sides of the ball and contribute on special teams as well. With Nick Foles and Juron Criner now out of the picture, it opens the door for a playmaker like Neal to step in and lead the way. Other teams like Notre Dame and Arkansas are loaded on the offensive side of the ball, which would make things difficult in his freshman year.

Neal could easily become the face of this team within a year and really put the Wildcats on the map in the Pac-12.

Randy Chambers is a B/R featured columnist that covers college football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail].