Gavin Neil verbally committed to Boston College on June 15. Work didn’t end there, however. The Illinois defensive lineman kept pushing for a sensational senior season.

A byproduct of him following through on that commitment has been more attention on the recruiting trail. Owing it to himself and family to check out those opportunities led to Neil visiting Iowa this past Saturday.

“What really stood out to me was the family atmosphere and how genuine the coaches were,” he said. “I also liked getting a feel for the facilities and the energy around the program. You can tell they care about developing their players on and off the field.”

While he remains a BC pledge, the Chicago Heights (IL) Marian Catholic standout is keeping open doors to other possibilities. That includes getting to know the Hawkeyes better.

“I’d like to learn more about the day-to-day development process and how they train their defensive linemen; also, more about the academic support and life outside of football,” Neil said.

In addition to Boston College, Neil officially visited Michigan State during the summer. The Spartans, Air Force and Army reportedly were among a long list of other offers

The 247Sports composite ranking sees Neil as a three-star prospect, the No. 126 defensive lineman in the 2026 Class and Illinois’ 31st best player overall for the cycle. Prep Redzone puts him at seventy fifth in the state.

The Hawkeyes see a prospect capable of fitting into their program on and off of the field.

“They told me they like my versatility on the defensive line and how I can play multiple spots inside. They also feel like my work ethic and mindset fit the culture at Iowa,” Neil said.

Iowa contains much of what he’s looking for in a future home.

“I have a lot of respect for the Hawkeye program. They’ve built a tradition of tough, physical football and developing players to compete at the highest level. I really like what they stand for,” Neil said.

According to Maxpreps, Neil has piled up 39.0 tackles (28 solo, 13.0 TFL) with 6.0 sacks and 13 quarterback hurries this season. He’s also forced a fumble and defended four passes, likely batting down balls at the line of scrimmage.

You can watch Neil in action HERE.