Bulldogs celebrate Fourth of July with commitment from 3-star safety Julian Neal

Fresno State is stuck on the sidelines, not yet cleared to return to campus and the practice field due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But the Bulldogs continue to make a mark on the recruiting trail.

The program celebrated the Fourth of July on Saturday with a commitment from Julian Neal, a long and athletic playmaker on both sides of the football from Mission High in San Francisco.

Neal, who is expected to enter the program as a safety, said he wanted to secure a spot in the recruiting process given the uncertainty of playing a senior season of high school football. Fresno State was that spot.

“I knew they were going to take care of me and this whole coronavirus, it has made everything (with recruiting) so different,” Neal said. “I didn’t know if I was going to have a season or not, so I was going to secure my spot with the people who were showing me the most love and that’s who I went with.”

Neal, who is 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, also had scholarship offers from Mountain West Conference rival San Jose State and is rated as a 3-star prospect by 247Sports.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic he has not been able to make a visit to Fresno State, but took a virtual tour during his recruitment. The NCAA has suspended all in-person recruiting several times during the pandemic – a dead period now runs through Aug. 31 – but coaches and prospective student-athletes can communicate by email, telephone and text messages and through social media.

“Since we’re not going to have a season right now, I’m really focused on my schoolwork and I’ve just been working out non-stop,” Neal said.

Neal is the fourth confirmed commitment in the Bulldogs’ 2021 recruiting class, joining defensive tackles Julius Lewis (6-6, 290) from Modesto Central Catholic and David Gusta (6-3, 250) from San Bernardino Cajon and running back Malik Brooks (6-1, 200) from Las Vegas Desert Pines.

This story was originally published July 4, 2020 at 4:55 PM.