He came to TCU as its highest ranked recruit; now Zach Evans could just be another RB
As a senior in high school, in 2019, Zach Evans had both eyes, and every inch of his body, on right now, April of 2023.
If Evans could have skipped college and gone straight to the NFL, he would have done it (the same could be said for most top high school football players.).
The circumstances were unusual, but he came to TCU as the highest ranked recruit the school ever signed. It was clear he never really wanted to be at TCU, and after playing in 15 games in his freshman and sophomore seasons combined he transferred to Ole Miss for the 2022 season.
Evans is now where he always wanted to be, in the NFL Draft.
Now, what will become of Zach Evans?
This could go either way, and hopefully this all works out. He better get his while he can, because he’s going to realize just how sadly typical he is in the world he will enter.
He was a five-star kid out of North Shore near Houston who knew he was a five-star kid, acted like he was a five-star kid, and now he’s here. He’s in a draft class loaded with other five stars.
The first round of the NFL Draft is Thursday night in Kansas City, and Evans was not invited. According to Pro Football Focus’ rankings of the running backs available for the ‘23 NFL Draft, Evans is not ranked in the top 10.
NFLDraftBuzz ranks Evans as the ninth best running back. WalterFootball ranks Evans sixth.
After Texas’ Bijan Robinson, Alabama’s Jahmyr Gibbs, UCLA’s Zach Charbonnett, there is a long list of players who fall into the Evans’ category.
Great high school players. Great college players.
Where Evans will be drafted will depend on a team’s needs, and whom a few scouts prefer among the group of Texas A&M’s Devon Achane, TCU’s Kendre Miller, Auburn’s Tank Bigsby, Tulane’s Tyjae Spears and a handful of other running backs.
Evans looks to be a third or fourth round draft pick; the Dallas Cowboys like him, as do a host of other teams. For good reasons.
When he played at TCU, in 2020 and 2021, he displayed God given talent that the football program had not seen since the days of LaDainian Tomlinson. Exceptional quickness and feet. Stupid speed.
In October of 2021, TCU hosted Texas. That was Texas’ Bijan Robinson versus TCU’s Zach Evans.
Evans was exceptional; he ran 15 times for 113 yards and a touchdown. Robinson was video game-ish; he ran 35 times for 216 yards with two touchdowns in a 32-27 win.
In Evans’ two years at TCU, he averaged more than seven yards a carry.
According to Evans’ teammates, he was a good guy. A good teammate. He was academic all conference in each of his two seasons ... whatever that means. At a minimum, he really wasn’t a problem.
He was just going to do his own thing. He wasn’t going to play through anything up to and including a hang nail.
Although he told TCU administrators he was going to stay, this after the 2021 season, it was apparent he was going to leave the moment he could.
Whatever Ole Miss offered in the spring of 2021, he grabbed it. TCU really didn’t put up much of a fight.
There was a reason the University of Georgia released Evans from his letter of intent in Jan. of 2020, and TCU lived it. It wasn’t bad. It was just ... stuff.
At Ole Miss, it was more of the same. Great talent, good production. He averaged 6.5 yards per carry, and he was named all conference.
Ole Miss had a decent season, and finished 8-5
TCU, meanwhile, the best of seasons. Evans old backup, Kendre Miller, had an outstanding season. When Miller was hurt, his backup, Emarci Demercado, also had a brilliant season which culminated with a memorable performance against Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl.
That’s the reality of running backs; when one goes down, or transfers, there is always another one trotting on the field.
Evans was a special player coming out of high school. He was a good college player.
Today, he’s another talented player who plays a position that is the most disposable in professional football, a notch above punters and kickers.
As a running back, Evans’ prime is today. Tomorrow. And, if everything lines up, these next few years.
Given the way the NFL treats running backs, Evans will be fortunate to make it five or six seasons. Maybe seven if he’s in the right spot, and he stays healthy. He has the talent that the friends he grew up with could only dream of possessing.
This is what he always wanted. To be in the NFL.
Make the most of it, because as a running back he’s closer to the end than the beginning of his football career.
He should call Zeke Elliott.
