Rebels Running Back Zach Evans: 'I Expect Ole Miss to Lead SEC in Rushing'
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OXFORD, Miss. -- The Ole Miss Rebels have completed another day of fall camp, and junior transfer Zach Evans is entering his first season with the team garnering high expectations.
After practice last, Evans was made available to the media where he discussed his transition to Oxford and the vision he sees for his new team. He spent his first two years of college ball with the TCU Horned Frogs and led the team in rushing last season with 648 yards despite only playing six games. This year, he will be splitting carries with a number of different talented tailbacks, and he expects it to help him stay fresh later into games.
"Being able to have other backs that can come in and pick up the same amount of work with better production will most definitely help," Evans said. "Depending on whoever works the hardest, like coach said, that's the one that's going to get the goal."
Evans isn't just appreciative of all the running backs he will be sharing the field with, but he is also very proud of his men in the trenches.
"I think they are great," Evans said. "All of them, from left tackle to the right. They put in hard work everyday. We get out at nine almost everyday spending countless hours putting in the work. I'm proud of them."
Evans is grinding day in and day out with his new teammates, watching the chemistry build with every practice, something that has been a point of emphasis in quotes from Rebel head coach Lane Kiffin.
"I wasn't here last year, so I can't really compare it to last year," Evans said, "but the chemistry I'm feeling right now is getting better. We're rotating both quarterbacks trying to see which one is going to get to go, and the same thing is happening with the backs. We're just coming in putting in the pieces."
Evans has only been with the Rebels for a little while, but as the chemistry builds, so does his confidence in his new team.
"I think Ole Miss led the SEC in rushing last year, right?" Evans said. "I expect to do it again."
Even with all the new faces he's had to learn, the biggest adjustment for Evans will be Lane Kiffin's unique offense. Kiffin was the offensive coordinator for Nick Saban from 2014-2016 where he lead the Crimson Tide to three straight SEC titles.
"His offense is high tempo and explosive," Evans said. "Coming from my last school, we had some explosive plays, but we couldn't really even everything out. Here, he's evening everything out across the board. I have never been in this explosive of an offense, and this competition I'm going against day in and day out, that's a real big change for me."
Evans and the Rebels' season kicks off in less than a month at home against the Troy Trojans on Sept. 3. The game will be televised on SEC Network.
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