Zach Evans: The No. 1 Back Struggles to Find a Landing Spot
There is no questioning whether or not Zach Evans is a superior talent, even inside of an extremely gifted 2020 recruiting class. Coming out of Texas high school football power North Shore, Evans has been an exciting, high-profile target for years.
A rare combination of speed, quickness, power, vision, and ability to play on third down make Evans a potential program changing prospect on the surface. So the question is, why has it become so difficult for Evans to find a landing spot?
It is well known by now that the Houston, Texas product signed a letter of intent with the University of Georgia and was subsequently released from it.
Georgia is no stranger to taking on extremely talented running backs. A pairing with Kendall Milton would have been exactly the type of high-profile duo that the Dawgs have used in years past to terrorize the SEC.
While we do not know exactly what deterred the Bulldogs from officially bringing Evans into the fold, with such potential firmly within their grasp, it can be ascertained that the reason was serious. Very serious.
There is no one that likes to see a young person struggle in any manner, especially one that has brought on this type of national attention. It was evident at the Under Armour All-American Game that Evans was genuinely upset about decisions and was contrite in his attempt to rectify matters. In a sideline interview, Evans stated, "I want to apologize to all my college coaches and apologize for the things that they are hearing."
There is absolutely nobody, and I mean nobody that knows everything that has gone on in the life of the talented back throughout this recruitment cycle. We will likely never get all of the details publicly. However, we all can hope the best for this young man and that he'll find a university that will not only nurture his tremendous talents but help to grow him as a man and successfully transition him to the NFL because his game is at that type of level.
PREDICTION
Based upon the events that have taken place and reports that we have gathered at Bulldog Maven, despite the growing speculation and rumors of Georgia being back in the thick of things, I do not see Zach Evans ending up in Athens. It is much more likely that the 2020 recruiting class's top-ranked running back will end up in the SEC West, and not with the reigning champs either.
Decisions and actions have consequences. Kirby Smart has shown through preparation for the Sugar Bowl that he has grown tired of any distractions and is wanting to keep the focus on the business at hand.
The business of winning a National Championship.
There are no guarantees in the never-ending saga that is the recruitment of Zach Evans, and he may end up reconciling matters with Georgia. However, I just do not believe that UGA will be adding him as the cherry on top of this class, despite his undeniable talent. If Georgia does add a second back in this class, it won't be Evans.
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