FIU Football: DB Jojo Evans Prepared For First Season With The Panthers

Kevin Barral | Jul 19, 2024

Kevin Barral/G5 Football Daily

After transferring from Kent State, safety Jojo Evans was not able to play in 2023. However, there are still a lot of national outlets that suggest he has the ability to make a big impact for the FIU Panthers in 2024.

In his lone season at Kent State in 2022 (after spending two at Marshall), Evans posted 83 total tackles, 55 solo tackles, 28 assisted tackles, half a sack and an interception.

"I don't really buy into it," said Evans, referring to the national attention he's receiving. "We going way more than second team but I don't buy into I just put the work in and hopefully it showcases when the time comes."

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Evans would've been a major impact player last season for the Panthers, likely a starter at safety, but was unable to play. Mentally, it was tough to deal with in his redshirt junior season.

"I'll be at the games and I feel like I would have made that play that happened, or something that went wrong. I feel like I would have done it, but it's always easier saying what you would do from the sidelines, so I just took it in and watched it to know what not to fall for, next year. I'm trying to come in and be a game changer and let it be obvious."

Prior to his time with Kent State, the safety spent two seasons in Conference USA with Marshall. In his time with the Thundering Herd, he posted 24 total tackles, 10 solo tackles and 14 assisted tackles.

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The FIU safety was able to take in a lot of what the defense was doing right and wrong through his year out of football. A lot of it had to to with running out of steam in the second half of games.

"Defense would start fast some games, then we'll not finish, and we'll do the opposite next game, so we just got to put it all together this year."

Jojo Evans and the Panthers will kick-off their season in Bloomington, Indiana on Saturday, August 31 at 3:30 pm on the Big Ten Network.