Vol Commit Flips to NC State
Jeremy Pruitt and his Tennessee staff went on an absolute recruiting tear in April and May of this season. While the Vols were able to land a multitude of elite talent in that window, players that they had coveted for some time, it did create some issues for the Vols. Tennessee has multiple areas that they still need to address in the 2021 class, but with the massive wave of players that the Vols added starting in late March, the class was filling up and there was a bit of a numbers crunch. It was expected that the Vols could lose some of the commits that had been in the class with the newer additions taken into account. The first of those decommitments occurred today, as three-star athlete Nate Evans of Fred Cox High School (Virginia Beach, VA) chose to leave the Vols and commit to North Carolina State instead.
Evans is a versatile athlete that is capable of playing multiple positions on both sides of the ball, a trait that made him intriguing to Jeremy Pruitt and now to Dave Doeren. At 6’1” and 180 pounds, Evans is most likely a corner at the next level. Evans is quicker than he is fast, showing good change of direction, fluid hips, and solid ball skills. His good height and long arms help him when trying to jam a receiver, trying to knock down a ball, or going for an interception. Evans does show that his time on offense translates to the defensive side of the ball when trying to force a turnover. Evans is scrappy, breaks on balls well, and looks to be dangerous in zone coverage when he can play back an break on balls and receivers outside. He has the frame, arms, and fluid back pedal and turn to work in man coverage as well. Evans has pretty good speed, but elite SEC or ACC receivers could give him problems in man coverage. If put in one-on-one situations, Evans will need to rely on his length and technique to neutralize faster receivers. While he is a bit raw at this point, solid positioning coaching can help Evans develop the tools he needs to become a complete corner to thrive in man or zone schemes. Wolfpack defensive back coach Brian Mitchell will have a raw, but talented player to attempt to develop. Evans will also need to add some muscle and weight to his frame to hold up better against the run. While Evans is a willing tackler, he needs to focus on his form, but added strength and size will help him against the bigger backs he will face in the ACC. Overall, Evans should add some weight and be an asset as a zone corner that can help against the run early for the Wolfpack, and as his technique grows, should be able to develop into a complete corner that can help his defense on significant snaps.
For Tennessee, the Vols lose one of the players that had been committed to them the longest in the 2021 class, as Evans committed on a visit on November 10th of 2019. Evans was looked at by Tennessee as a versatile athlete, most likely to land in the defensive backfield at corner or safety. The Vols have added four-stars Kamar Wilcoxson, De’Shawn Rucker, and Kaemen Matley that could all potentially end up in the defensive backfield at safety or corner, or more positions in Marley's case. The Vols also still have Elijah Howard and Jordan Mosely that are versatile players and could see work at corner. The Vols are also still pursuing five-star corner Isiah Johnson from West Virginia, De'Juan Warren, the number one JUCO corner in the nation, four-star Damarius McGhee from Pensacola, FL, and fast-rising JUCO Corner Khyree Jackson from East Mississippi Community College. Corner is still a need for the Vols, and they are likely to take a few more in the 2021 class if they can land them, but they still have good options left on the boa d that they are in good positions with.