HOUSTON – Zach Evans muscled through Texas A&M linebackers, lowering his shoulder pads to escape from their grasp.
Evans sprinted away from the secondary, breaking free as he was wide open on a touchdown catch against Auburn.
And Evans displayed elusiveness, speed and power in multiple open-field situations throughout his final season for Mississippi.
Evans’ explosive running style looks familiar because it’s just how he used to run the football as a blue-chip Texas Christian University recruit at North Shore High School.
Evans has visited the Dallas Cowboys, visits the Carolina Panthers on Wednesday and has met with the New Orleans Saints, Cincinnati Bengals and Washington Commanders with an upcoming meeting with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, per a league source.
Mississippi running back Zach Evans @OleMissFB primed for Pro Day today 'I want to show them I'm a great athlete' @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/vxxqvDpeH5
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) March 29, 2023
Now that he’s recovered from a hamstring injury, Evans shined during an important day: his campus Pro Day workout Wednesday on the Mississippi campus. Unable to work out at the NFL scouting combine due to his leg injury, Evans is healthy now and ready to show scouts his athleticism and that he’s a true home run threat.
“I want to show them really how explosive I am in and out of my breaks,” Evans said in a telephone interview with KPRC 2 before running a top time of 4.45 in the 40-yard dash. “I want to show them that I’m a great athlete and still a top-50 player in my class. I expect to be really explosive. I expect to blow it out of the water.
“I feel like the NFL is getting a dog, someone who shows up and puts in the work. They’ll get the best from me. At my Pro Day, I’m hoping to show everybody what I got.”
Evans ran the 40-yard dash between 4.45 and 4.48 seconds, which would have ranked sixth at the NFL scouting combine among the running backs. His 4.26 short shuttle and 7.08 three-cone drill would have ranked in the top 10 at the scouting combine among running backs.
Evans managed to rush for 936 yards and nine touchdowns last season while ranking 10th in the nation with a 6.5 average per carry despite missing time with a hip injury and a concussion and splitting time with freshman standout Quinshon Judkins.
“It was real fun playing for Lane Kiffin, I loved the team,” Evans said. “We took football so seriously. It was the grind. Kiffin has had a lot of success. It was an explosive offense that showcased me.”
With the leg injury in the past, Evans is eager to show what he’s capable of.
“My leg is feeling good,” Evans said. “I had a Grade 2 hamstring strain before the combine. We were just trying to be precautionary.”
After leading North Shore to consecutive state titles as a five-star recruit who rushed for nearly 5,000 yards and 75 touchdowns in high school, Evans rushed for 415 yards and four touchdowns in his first season at TCU. He rushed for a team-high 648 yards and five touchdowns as he averaged seven yards per carry despite missing six games with a toe injury.
The ascension to the NFL has felt like a fast process for Evans, years removed from his high school days.
“I want to say looking back at it I do feel like it came fast,” Evans said. “It’s something you think about since you were a kid. Now, it’s in your face. It’s about trusting preparation I had at North Shore and trusting my training and keeping God first.”
Evans helped lead Mississippi to a 6-4 record last season and an appearance in the Texas Bowl.
He has multiple upcoming visits, including the Dallas Cowboys on April 3 and the Carolina Panthers on April 14.
Represented by agents Joshua Grady of Grady Sports Agency and Bus Cook who are working in tandem on his behalf, Evans is confident in their ability to help guide him in his future.
“Joshua has good energy and gives me an overview of what it’s going to be like,” Evans said. “Preparing with him it was really good. Having a guy like Bus in the picture, it really helps to talk to him about his experience. He has a long resume.
“The majority of the questions I’ve had from teams were about ball, some about my health at the combine. I was able to transition through adversity I faced in my life and go through the process of leaving TCU to go to Ole Miss and be successful.”
Evans didn’t do this on his own. He has the support of his family, including his mother, his brothers, his coaches and mentor Charcandrick West.
“I have great people around me,” Evans said. “I lean on my mom for strength.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com