Omari Evans Offers So Many Possibilities With His Elite Speed

Omari Evans caught the football, made a sudden move that sent Ohio State cornerback Lorenzo Styles Jr. flying over the top of him and he raced down the field for what appeared to be a 14-yard gain.

Ah, but it was all an illusion, with replays showing what the naked eye couldn't -- that the cat-quick Evans touched the Husky Stadium turf with a knee along the way and ultimately giving him just a 3-yard gain for the University of Washington during the second quarter of last weekend's game.

Yet it was great fun for the Huskies (3-1 overall, 0-1 Big Ten, even in their 24-6 loss to the nation's top-ranked team, to show off some speed and quickness advantages in such a high-profile game.

"We'll continue to look for plays for Omari," UW coach Jedd Fisch said.

This coming Saturday a half hour outside of Baltimore, the 6-foot, 195-pound Evans, a Penn State transfer and native Texan, will appear in his third Husky game, looking to put that great acceleration of his to good use against the Maryland Terrapins (4-0, 1-0).

He won't be a full-fledged starter for the UW because fall camp injuries put him behind freshmen Raiden Vines-Bright and Dezmen Roebuck in the rotation and they've done nothing to lose their spots.

Yet Evans is the fastest Husky wide receiver and good for instant points if you can get the football to him. He came to the UW looking for a lot more catches after being a part-time starter for Penn State.

Against Washington State, he made his first appearance and his first reception for his new team went 59 yards for a touchdown to cap off the Huskies' 59-21 victory in the Apple Cup in Pullman.

Omari Evans waits for his turn as receivers coach Kevin Cummings looks on. | Skylar Lin Visuals

After his readjusted catch against Ohio State, Evans got open three plays later to make a 22-yard grab over the middle from Demond Williams Jr.

So he's somebody opposing secondaries have to be concerned about and aware of at all times.

"The speed that we've seen is exactly what we're looking for," receivers coach Kevin Cummings said during fall camp.

Omari Evans (5) makes a touchdown catch over Boise State safety Ty Benefield (0) in the Fiesta Bowl. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

After going a full Saturday without a touchdown against Ohio State, the Huskies will look to get the scoreboard numbers clicking again at Maryland.

One way to do that is to see if they can find the electric Evans gliding downfield, running into open space with his knees churning rather than touching down on the surface in a near invisible manner.

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