Analysis: Huge Evans to be Man in the Middle for Vols
The Vols have multiple seniors departing from their defensive line at the conclusion of the 2020 season, which has made that group a priority target in the 2021 recruiting class. While Jeremy Pruitt and new defensive line coach Jimmy Brumbaugh have been targeting prospects that can help in multiple roles along the defensive line, again prioritizing the versatility that Pruitt values so much, there is one role Tennessee needs to find for their front. Tennessee has recruited players that can help them in different roles as ends and sub package defensive tackles, but finding a nose tackle in the 2021 class is an absolute must for Pruitt and company. The nose tackle in a 3-4 defense is arguably the most important position in the entire scheme. The nose tackle's ability to consistently command and defeat a double team is what the rest of the 3-4 defensive scheme moves around. The Vols need a nose tackle in the 2021 class, and today, they have gotten a commitment from one of the best in the country. The Vols picked up four-star Saint Frances Academy (Baltimore, MD) defensive tackle Katron Evans.
Evans is a massive human being at 6’4” and 320 pounds. He certainly has the size to be a problem in the middle of the offensive line, while being an absolute load to have to move. That is before you factor in his outstanding strength. Evans is an absolute bulldozer, showing on film the ability to stop and drive back a double team from a center and guard. If a center or guard is left one-on-one with Evans, he simply pushes them straight back into the offensive backfield. Evans plays with good leverage, working low, meaning that he gets the most out of his impressive strength by multiplying it with that leverage. If Evans comes under an offensive lineman and gets his hands into their body, no matter how big they are, they are going for a ride. Evans is a disruptive force in the middle of the defense on film, going beyond simply clogging the middle of the line. Evans blows plays up by driving linemen into the laps of quarterbacks and running backs, sometimes two at a time. He also shows on film the ability to regularly defeat double teams, not just by using his quickness to split it, but by driving both linemen into the backfield. Evans brings more than just size and elite strength to the field, but they are what makes him so intriguing as a nose tackle prospect.
On film, Evans shows a quickness that belies his size. He has good change of direction and a nice burst when it comes to firing out of his stance, scraping free of blockers, and closing on ball carriers and quarterbacks. Evans can get out and run when he needs to, athletic enough to supply support from the backside on an outside run, punishing a ball carrier that tries to cut back inside. He is also a high football IQ and highly aware prospect. Evans gets his hands up into the passing lanes even when the offense manages to contain him with a double team. Such a large player right in the quarterback's face that is strong enough to still get his hands up through a double team results in batted balls, but it also bothers quarterbacks. That looming presence in the middle of the line impacts throwing lanes and can make quarterbacks hesitate a split second before going over the middle on a short or intermediate throw. That hesitation can be enough to allow a blitzer to get home or a corner to take away a timing route. Playing in the nose tackle role at times means a player can do an excellent job without recording many stats, while still dramatically impacting the game. Evans has the ability to be the presence in the middle, but with his strength and quickness, he can make plays himself. He can defeat the double teams he commands, and he is fast enough that when he gets off blocks, he can bring down ball carriers. Evans is athletic, fast, and technically sound enough with his hands to get a look as a 3-4 end in the Tennessee defense. He can rush the passer from the edge as a massive end, and he has the hand techniques to help him get home as well. He is just too valuable to Tennessee as a nose tackle though, a harder position to fill that he has the size to play well and the athleticism to thrive in.
Tennessee fills a major need with Katron Evans, one that bodes well for the health of their defense for years to come. To see how important the position is to a 3-4 defense, watch how the emergence of the Tennessee defense coincided with the emergence of Darrel Middleton and Greg Emerson playing that position at a high level. Evans is an important landing for Tennessee's defense, but also for their recruiting. For the second season in a row, the Vols go out to Saint Frances Academy, a national powerhouse in high school football, and land a highly rated defensive tackle prospect. Evans will join his former high school teammate Dominick Bailey in Knoxville. Bailey played a big part in Evans making the decision to don the Orange and White, but so did Joe Osovet and Jimmy Brumbaugh. Osovet played a role in the Vols landing Bailey, and now, in an on-field role, he played a major role in landing Evans. Jimmy Brumbaugh also showed that he can recruit with the big boys by helping to bring Evans into the fold. The new defensive line coach for the Vols worked to get himself a big piece in the middle of his unit. Tennessee is having success in going into the DMV region and pulling out elite talent level players. This is an area they want to grow in, and Saint Frances is an excellent school to try to develop a pipeline to. If Evans and Bailey are successful peer recruiting with Brumbaugh and Osovet also successful in the area, this could be a significant development for the Vols in the future, beyond finding an excellent nose tackle to man the middle of the defense the next four years.