OXFORD – When Ole Miss fans gather to talk about Ole Miss 2022, there is a lot of faith that Zack Evans will be back this fall. They have support in this faith.
247 Sports puts him in 11th place in the nation in the back position. Here is an excerpt from the information provided about Evans:
“With enough touch, Evans should exceed 1,000 yards in total this fall as a threat to the speed of the rebels,” said 247 writer Brad Crawford.
The whole article: here.
Should Evans be considered for such an award as he heads to the SEC West game with Ole Miss? There are a few key points to consider first.
In fact, Evans has been known to be a threat to speed throughout his high school career, as Crawford rightly pointed out, and this continued with his time in college through two seasons with Horned Frogs. He rushed 1063 yards and nine touchdowns while playing for TCU. Now in Ole Miss, he can definitely influence the Ole Miss crime in many ways, starting with being a great player.
Even as a true freshman in 2020, Zack Evans smashed opponents’ defenses with big games.
Jerome Myron-USA TODAY Sports
First, Evans is not just a runner between boards. He can change direction in the blink of an eye. He will bring the soccer ball to the perimeter and will escape from the side line defense for the result when the intended hole was in precipice A. If this gap is open, boom! Evans can split the defense and take right in the middle for a long result. This is his style of play in a nutshell; use your natural speed to make great games.
With an average of 7.7 yards of carrying in 2020 and 7.0 yards of carrying as a sophomore in Fort Worth, Texas, there is certainly evidence of that. Now a junior who is more understanding, more familiar with the intricacies of college play, Evans is also more likely to be consistent.
Sometimes it’s best to take the three yards and move on to the next game. Many home runners, like Evans, will fail at this, which is why they do not progress from college to professionals.
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When there is a crease to go through, Evans has the vision and speed to make a great game.
Jerome Myron-USA TODAY Sports
If Evans is consistent and doesn’t just bounce off running games at the first sign of trouble, he has to fight for the best back in the SEC West. One simply cannot learn one’s natural fast legs and explosive speed.
This toughness between fights is a must for any Ole Miss runner, and it leads to an additional point that some may overlook about Evans and the involvement of head coach Lane Kifin.
Catching football can be the real difference for Evans. Few security forces will come close to him, let alone midfielders, and these two groups will be constantly challenged to cover him in the open. Good luck to these players with the task of sticking to Evans as he goes along the route.
Defensive players will have a hard time dealing with Zack Evans in the open field, which allows him to finish in the end zone.
Jerome Myron, USA Today
He caught just 18 passes for 206 yards and a touchdown between his two seasons with the TCU, but Kifin has always been able to lure playmakers to play football in the game of passes, even if they are backbacks. Evans must continue this trend.
Will he be a 1,000-yard running back for Ole Miss this season? Possible. Combining his numbers as a runner and as a receiver is more important. It is safe to assume that he will not only exceed 1,000 yards between running and receiving, but the number of playoffs he produces will also be impactful and change the momentum of the games.
This is why 247 Sports is probably right to design Evans higher than many others might think. Ole Miss acquires a dynamic run at Evans, which will help Rebels with great games to run and catch football, and so he is definitely one of the 25 best runners in college football in general.
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