Take Two: Can Texas keep 5-star Zach Evans in state?
Take Two returns with a daily offering tackling a handful of issues in the college football landscape. Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney lays out the situation and then receives takes from Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell and a local expert from the Rivals.com network of team sites.
MORE: Who lands five-star Darnell Wright? | Farrell's Three-Point Stance | SEC QB battles | Big Ten QB battles
THE STORYLINE
Zachary Evans made a huge impression at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented by adidas recently and he’s clearly one of the most special running backs to come out of Texas in many years.
The Houston (Texas) North Shore standout is already a five-star prospect and ranked sixth nationally. He’s special enough to possibly move even higher.
As for his recruitment, Texas and LSU have made big impressions on Evans and of the Longhorns he recently said they’re “all gas, no brakes” in terms of coming after him. Georgia also seems to be making a bigger push and an upcoming visit to Athens could be huge.
Oklahoma, Alabama, Texas A&M and others are also in the mix.
Texas is in desperate need of legitimate game-changers on offense and although Evans is a 2020 prospect and wouldn’t head to Austin for a few years, it would be huge for coach Tom Herman and the Longhorns to land his commitment.
Can Texas keep the in-state five-star running back home or will another national power come back into the state and take another elite-level talent out of the region?
TAKE ONE: JASON SUCHOMEL, ORANGEBLOODS.COM
“It's too early to call it a two-horse race for Zach Evans, but I do think both Texas and LSU will be major players in this one. Others, like Oklahoma and Alabama, could also figure into the mix and Evans says he's keeping an open mind among about 15 schools right now.
“Of all the prospects in the 2020 class - and you could probably even include the 2019 class - Evans may be the biggest "must-get" for the Longhorns. He's a dynamic talent that could very well be the best back to come out of the state since Adrian Peterson. He's been on the Texas campus numerous times over the last year and has developed a good relationship with the UT staff, including running backs coach Stan Drayton. And frankly, Texas hasn't had a true "can't-miss" tailback in some time. If Texas can land Evans, it would obviously be a big boost to the program from a talent perspective, but it could also send a message to the other regional programs that are trying to land the five-star talent.”
TAKE TWO: MIKE FARRELL, RIVALS.COM
“Evans is a big one. LSU has the more recent running back tradition and I think he likes LSU a lot. I don’t think he’s going to be an early commitment.
“That’s the type of kid Texas can’t let out of the state - and Texas A&M as well. I know he mentions other schools like Oklahoma and some others. He’s a kid they can’t let out of the region and if you’re talking about Texas specifically, he is a must-get for next year.”