Zach Evans Timeline: A Long Look at the 5-star's Recruitment
National Signing Day provides some finality to the next wave of football stars -- unless it doesn’t. In the case of running back Zach Evans there hasn’t been much in his recruitment that would be considered conventional.
There has never been a doubt of the Texas native’s talent as a running back, despite missing several games over the last three years he has compiled nearly 5,000 yards and 75 touchdowns against great competition. He was the MVP of the Under Armour All-America Game and reeled in 44 scholarship offers in the process.
But beginning early in the 2019 season, when he was suspended for a violation of team rules, things began to change. Evans would shine when he was on the field, but he would miss some of his team’s biggest moments, including the state championship game for another suspension.
Evans wanted to sign a Letter of Intent with Georgia and not have the program announce the news until he could do so on television at the Under Armour event on January 2nd, but earlier that day SI All-American first reported that would not happen. During the broadcast, he would publicly apologize to his “college coaches” for his mistakes.
Zach Evans Timeline
- Aug. 2019: Evans suspended multiple games for a violation of team rules.
- Sep. 30: Evans Tweets out "I've Decided"
- Dec. 14: Evans misses the first half of a playoff game because of the ACT
- Dec. 19: He signs a National Letter of Intent with Georgia with plans to announce the news publicly Jan. 2 during the Under Armour All-America Game.
- Dec. 21: Evans doesn’t play in North Shore’s state championship game because of another violation of team rules, reportedly regarding a cell phone.
- Dec. 28: Confirms to multiple reporters he signed an LOI with a program with intentions to announce a decision at UAAAG. Gives indication that the school he signed with recently placed a rookie running back in the Super Bowl (Sony Michel and the Patriots).
- Jan. 2: SI All-American is first to report that Evans is no longer expected to announce during the broadcast. Hours later, Evans would offer an apology to his “college coaches” during the broadcast with the help of game coach Deion Sanders.
- Jan. 7: Evans is released from his LOI by Georgia and free to resume contact and take visits to other programs.
- Jan. 17: Ole Miss hosts Evans for an official visit.
- Jan. 24: Tennessee hosts Evans for an official visit.
- Jan. 30: Daijun Edwards commits to Georgia. Essentially ending the chances for Evans to end up at UGA.
- Jan. 31: "School X" hosts Evans for an official visit, and despite Evans indicating on his Instagram live that that school was going to be Georgia, all indications are that Evans was not in Athens this past weekend. All that can be confirmed is that he was indeed on a flight headed somewhere.
- Feb. 5: National Signing Day. Does Evans sign another LOI? Can he sign another letter of intent? Does he simply commit to a school only to enroll later? Is the Junior College route going to be involved in some sense? All questions left to be unanswered.
It's certainly been one of the crazier journeys we have ever witnessed, and something tells me we are not exactly at the end of the timeline when it comes to this extremely talented and controversial back from just outside of Dallas, Texas.
Article prepared by SI All-American's John Garcia Jr. and Brooks Austin of Bulldog Maven
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