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Inside The Huskies

Huskies Will Host Penn State WR, Who Played Against Them

Omari Evans is in the transfer portal after starting six of the 16 games he appeared.
Dan Raley|
Penn State wide receiver Omari Evans gets upfield against Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl.
Penn State wide receiver Omari Evans gets upfield against Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

It didn't take long for Jedd Fisch's University of Washington coaching staff to move on from ex-Texas Longhorns wide receiver Johntay Cook, who was dismissed earlier in the week, and reopen a search for yet another veteran pass-catcher.

On Wednesday night, former Penn State receiver Omari Evans shared with On3 he will visit Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas Tech and the UW.

Evans, whose first name is Donovan but goes by his middle name, is a 6-foot, 189-pound senior who appeared in 38 games for the Nittany Lions, but started just six -- which is probably why he's in the transfer portal.

In November, he came off the bench to play in Penn State's 35-6 victory over the Huskies in State College, though he didn't have any catches that day.

Similar to Cook, the 6-foot, 189-pound Evans is a native Texan, only he hails from Killeen, or about 140 miles south of Cook's hometown of DeSoto, which is in the Dallas suburbs.

Evans' most visible reception this past season was a 38-yard touchdown catch against Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl and CFP playoffs,, giving Penn State a 13-0 lead in what would be a 31-14 Nittany Lions' victory on New Year's Eve -- hours after the Huskies had played in the Sun Bowl against Louisville.

He finished the season with 21 catches for 415 yards and 5 touchdowns, with career totals of 30 receptions for 564 yards and 7 scores.

Evans was in and out of the Penn State lineup all season, starting the second game against Bowling Green, then not again until the fifth game against UCLA and then four in a row coming down the stretch against Purdue, Minnesota, Maryland and Oregon.

He was used as a reserve in each of the Nittany Lions' three playoff games against SMU, Boise State and Notre Dame. He obviously seeks a more prominent role somewhere.

For the latest UW football and basketball news, go to si.com/college/washington

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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