Background
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, one of nine children in his family (five boys, four girls), was born and raised in Tampa, Fla., by his mother (Sharona McNeil). He started playing football at age 7 as a quarterback, running back and wide receiver. McNeil-Warren didn’t have much of a relationship with his father (Tarus Horne) while growing up. Before high school, though, his mother had him move to St. Petersburg, Fla., to live with Horne, who was an offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach at Lakewood High. McNeil-Warren disagreed with the decision at the time, but they developed a close bond, and he now credits his father for being a role model and keeping him on track.
McNeil-Warren enrolled at Lakewood High School in Pinellas County, Fla., where he played on varsity all four seasons. Mostly a wide receiver throughout middle school, he expected to play on offense for his father, but the coaches moved him to safety and cornerback during his freshman year. As a sophomore, McNeil-Warren accounted for 17 tackles and one interception, as Lakewood started 12-0 before a loss in the 2019 playoff semifinals. He recorded 21 tackles, two interceptions and one forced fumble as a junior in 2020, during a COVID-19 pandemic-abbreviated season. McNeil-Warren missed several games as a senior because of a concussion and an elbow fracture — he finished with 65 tackles, three interceptions and one forced fumble. He tried basketball and track but quickly realized he wanted to be a football-only athlete.
A three-star recruit, McNeil-Warren was the 106th-ranked safety in the 2022 class and the No. 176 recruit in Florida. He received his first offer during his sophomore year after Toledo head coach Jason Candle (who was at Lakewood to recruit a different player) saw him playing around on the basketball court. In the spring of his sophomore year, McNeil-Warren picked up his first major offer, from Miami. After his junior season, he added offers from Indiana, Louisville, Kansas State and Maryland. He was leaning toward Indiana or Maryland, but schools started to back off his recruitment after his midseason injuries as a senior. Toledo stayed in contact, though, and McNeil-Warren committed during his school visit a few weeks before signing day. He was the sixth-ranked recruit in Candle’s 2022 class and became the first member of his family to attend college.
McNeil-Warren said he was tempted to enter the transfer portal after his junior year and move up to a major conference, but he stayed loyal to Toledo — as Toledo had stayed loyal to him as a recruit (McNeil-Warren: “I stayed because it’s family here. If not for Toledo, I don’t know where I would be.”). McNeil-Warren accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl but pulled out before the event because of a lingering injury.
