Five Questions: Zachary Evans' top five
Five-star running back Zachary Evans released his top five Tuesday, and there were definitely some surprises on the list that was comprised of Ohio State, Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma and Georgia. Texas and Texas A&M were believed to be two of his favorites, but they did not make the cut.
We ask Texas and Louisiana Recruiting Analyst Sam Spiegelman five questions about Evans’ list and where the Houston (Texas) North Shore star goes from here.
RELATED: Analysis of Evans' five finalists
1. How surprised are you that neither Texas nor Texas A&M made the list?
Spiegelman: Immensely shocked, given the momentum Texas garnered in the spring and how he viewed his fit in the A&M offense, and also the string of visits to Austin over the past year. For neither to be involved is a complete shock.
2. Do you get the sense either one or both of them will end up on Evans’ list?
Spiegelman: Some comments have pointed toward Texas not being in the race because they’re not championship-ready, but given the proximity to campus, Texas is not going to throw in the towel on Evans. The same goes for A&M, and I would fully anticipate one, if not both, could get back into the race before February.
3. There is the talk that Evans is the best running back in Texas since Adrian Peterson. Does that matter to Evans, and does it help Oklahoma at all?
Spiegelman: The pitch is great, but Jase McClellan committed and the Sooners are a finalist for Seth McGowan, so the odds are they’re not getting the two top-rated running backs from the state of Texas this year. Evans' last visit was probably more than a year ago, so they’d be fifth out of the top five in my opinion.
4. In Evan’s final five, he has pro-style teams, spread teams and teams that play both. What exactly is he looking for in an offense?
Spiegelman: He really can fit in a spread system, but he’s best-suited for the SEC. The SEC has its selling points, especially to running backs in regards to downhill runners, guys that can lower their shoulder and run over someone. Zach is a phenomenal receiver, too, so a team like Ohio State would be an exceptional fit.
5. Out of the top five - if he sticks with these top five - which school has the best shot right now?
Spiegelman: I’m really leaning toward an SEC school. You could make an easy case for each of the three in his final five. LSU was his first offer going into his freshman year, and he visited as recently as January and they have a pipeline to North Shore High School. He’s visited Alabama in the past, and they’re looking to restock the backfield. Being developed and going to the NFL is what’s on his mind and at Alabama you can do that and compete for a title. With Georgia, (assistant head coach) Dell McGee is going after Evans, Kendall Milton and Seth McGowan. When he visited, it was around the Super Bowl, and he got to see Todd Gurley and Sony Michel face off in the game. Georgia is RBU, which stands out and that clicks a lot of boxes for him.