Elusive junior back drawing interest
At one time the belief that smaller running backs could not be effective at the college level was the predominant opinion, and it probably kept a lot of good football players out of the game at that level.
With the growth of the spread offense and the success of plenty of smaller, shifty backs, the perception that those types of backs can't succeed is changing.
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Fareed Nealy was one of the top backs in his area during the 2009 season, when he rushed for more than 800 yards and four touchdowns for Paterson Catholic in New Jersey.
At 5-foot-8 and 170-pounds, Nealy is probably never going to be the kind of back that carries it 30 times per game, but that doesn't mean he can't make an impact in the college ranks.
"I would say I'm more of an elusive back," Nealy recently told Rivals.com. "I would like to work on my speed and strength."
Nealy thrived in Paterson Catholic's run-oriented offense, and he also spent time at safety on defense. He projects as an offensive skill position player, however, and he probably won't line up on defense after his senior season of high school football.
"I've gotten mail from some schools," he continued. "I've heard from Cincinnati and Syracuse. I'm working on (scheduling visits) now, just checking on all the schools I'd like to see.
"I was invited to a junior day at the University of Pennsylvania, so I'm going to that soon. I don't know what else I'm going to be doing. I have to talk to my coach soon. I really like Notre Dame, but that might be far-fetched."