Zach Evans to TCU Could Have Major Impact on the Big 12
TCU landed a major recruiting win today with the announcement that five-star running back Zach Evans would enroll in the university.
The nation's No. 16 overall prospect and No. 2 running back just became the highest-rated recruit in the modern era for the university and makes 2020 the top recruiting class in coach Gary Patterson's tenure.
What it means for the Big 12: TCU hasn't been a real contender for the league title since an unsuccessful trip to the Big 12 championship game in 2017, but this last-minute addition to the 2020 recruiting class may be enough to count it among the favorites entering this season.
Patterson's teams are always at their best when he can pair a potent offense with his always-stingy defenses. Now TCU offensive coordinator Sonny Cumbie will have the most physically-talented back to come to Fort Worth since LaDainian Tomlinson left campus back in 2000.
Obviously a deeper league will make all its members look good, but it also adds a stronger roadblock for teams like Texas, which is coming off a loss to a TCU squad that finished 5–7 last year.
It also means we'll get to see the top two running backs in the 2020 class go head-to-head over the next few years when Evans meets Texas's Bijan Robinson.
The Big 12 has lost ground to some of the other conferences when it comes to big-time running back recruiting over the past few years—namely the SEC. This could be an opportunity to change that narrative.
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