5-star RB Zach Evans offers apology to college coaches in TV interview
5-star running back Zach Evans was originally supposed to announce his commitment at Under Armour All American game on Jan. 2. But instead of making his commitment official, he issued an apology for getting sent home prior to his team’s high school state championship.
“I want to apologize to my college coaches and apologize for the things that they are hearing,” Evans said on ESPN2. “I’m really a good kid.”
“It was stupid. It was an immature decision. I was being selfish to my teammates, and I’m ready to come in and show them I’m ready.”
NFL Hall of Fame member Deion Sanders, who was one of the coaches at the Under Armour All American game, is in his corner. Sanders said that he was once kicked off a football team in his youth and added that Evans deserves another shot.
Evans is reportedly already signed with a school and plans to enroll early, but his decision to not follow through on his original timeline and reveal his college choice on Thursday throws a wrench in Evans’ already strange recruitment.
The 247Sports crystal ball has Evans committing to Georgia, but LSU and Texas A&M are also reportedly in the mix.
Zach Evans on where he is:
Deon Sanders went on to say “He’s a kid man. He did something stupid. He made a mistake and he deserves another shot.”
— Brooks Austin (@BrooksAustinSI) January 3, 2020
Interview with 5* RB Zach Evans from the UA Game. @ReuseRecruiting @RadiNabulsi @UGASportscom pic.twitter.com/g3AyB7gCa1
— Trent Smallwood (@SmallwoodTrent) January 3, 2020
I can’t even imagine what this dumba$$ must have done to be told to go home before the state championship game!! NEVER heard of that happening before. This kid will be a hand full..
It’s what happens when every school in the country is begging you to come to their school. These highly recruited HS players don’t know what humble means.
Maybe so, but not all the other elite recruits have this kind of recruiting history. Some commit (once) and stay committed and sign with that school.
I didn’t mean to imply all highly recruited kids were this way. You’re right majority of them are really good kids.
I read somewhere it was over not giving up his cell phone for the game.
Wonder if a couple schools pulled their offer??
I know LSU moved on after the early signing period. Can’t speak to the others.
Where did you hear LSU moved on? That’s an interesting tidbit. I have doubts that they would pass on Evan’s if he showed interest.
They wouldn’t pass. Coach O needs a lot of help once Burrow and Brady leave. 10-3 for the next couple of years.
The coach told all the kids to give up their phones and he wouldn’t give his up.
So strange. He said he signed his LOI but didn’t send it in. Said he’s only talking to one school, then a couple of questions later said he talked to Kirby two nights ago. Threw detailed kudos UGA’s way about the Sugar Bowl win. Apologized for his behavior at the Texas state championship that got him sent home. Could now announce his decision at any time “soon”.
For a kid who intends to enroll early – like, being on campus next week – this is weird. We certainly still seem to be at the top of his list, and who wouldn’t want a rare talent like this? We don’t, however, need another Isaiah Crowell. Kirby tends to shy away from kids with off-field or academic issues, so the next few days should be interesting. Wherever he winds up, the de-recruitment process needs to begin the minute he’s on campus, and maybe with a little extra vigor.
He apologized for his behavior, and THEN the reporter asked him the question about his troubles with his HS team. Those troubles have been well documented and it’s not like Kirby and co. didn’t know about them. I think he possibly did something that made teams sour on him a little bit. I think he signed his LOI to UGA, but he maybe did something to make UGA not willing to accept just yet and that’s why he and Deion did the interview basically asking UGA for a second chance.
Also I don’t think that Kirby tends to shy away from kids with academic issues. There have beena few kids that UGA recruited who didn’t qualify initially. Nadab Joseph and Tramel Walthour most recently.
Also, remember that Brian Herrien had academic issues and basically had to study like PhD student just to get in to UGA. I think several of the kids on the team now were not necessarily academic stalwarts. But in truth, you don’t have to be. You just have to be willing to work hard in the classroom like you do on the playing fields. the schools give you all the academic tutoring and mentoring you could want, so apply yourself and it works out.
Very true. Getting in is the hard part. Realistically the guys coming in to play college football now a days are there to do a job and that’s play football for the university. And once your in, they make it very easy to pass classes so if you fail, it’s a lack of effort. That’s the reason I’m so disappointed in Cleveland.
Brian Herrien struggled with the ACT and many schools backed off but Kirby kept after him. Then he quits before Sugar Bowl to protect maybe a 7th round or free agent pick.
George Pickens was an academic risk in HS and when he was committed to AU a lot of people were concerned that he wasn’t going to qualify. Not saying that I wouldn’t have been very happy to have him, he is an electric player and will only get better I’m sure.
I don’t think any teams not signing him will be very upset. The kid has drama queen written all over him. If he actually matures, he could be a great signing. If he doesn’t, he could be a cancer.
A lot of kids are dumb and immature, the only problem with Evans is that because of his status as a top recruit, he gets put under a magnifying glass and picked apart. The best thing a team can do would be to bring him in and keep him away from the lights and just let him be a football player.
The kid was suspended twice his senior season and can’t figure out how to announce who he already signed with. No other recruit has these issues. He’s special.
He’s a kid. You trashing him on the internet says more about you than him.
He seems to either be getting bad advise or ignoring any good advise. Very strange.
The truth is trashing? You’re pretty special too.
Again. You’re showing your a$$ on the internet. Congrats toughguy.
“That kid has drama queen written all over him” is not objective truth it’s your old-man opinion and it is absolutely your way of trashing a teenager.
Sounding factual.
This is some serious sour grapes from jilted LSU internet tough guys. LOL.
This is unrealistic. If a kid is a bad apple, there really isn’t a way to hide him. Eventually, his actions are going to show up somewhere (either repeated internal discipline or on-field misconduct or a police blotter). If all he wanted was to just be a “football player,” he wouldn’t have all of these issues. And for the record, Most kids who truly are good kids, don’t have to tell people that. Just sayin.
Why is he a bad apple? A few misjudged and immature decisions don’t make a kid a bad apple. If he’s made mistakes let him learn from them. I guarantee you he won’t be a problem once you get him in a college locker room. He seems willing and ready to learn and be a team guy.
Comical. He has had issues since the beginning of his senior year, but Kirby is going to heal him and turn him into a model citizen. Sure. Let’s go with that.
See Dee Anderson
Why would I want to see him? He’s done. You seem to just be reaching now. It’s still comical. If the kid doesn’t end up at UGA, it will be interesting to see the fans reactions.
Dee was suspended his senior year in HS. It’s pretty relevant to the conversation.
If he doesn’t choose UGA it’s his choice. I would never bash a kid for making the best decision for himself. I wouldn’t bash any kid. Especially when I haven’t walked in his shoes or have any first hand information on his situation. Because…I’m not an internet toughguy.
Was he suspended twice? Did he have multiple signing dates scheduled only to do nothing? Did he have to bring in Dieon Sanders as a character witness? Didn’t think so.
No he was just suspended his entire senior season. No biggie
Unless I’m mistaken, he only scheduled a commitment date for September and then pushed it to the All-American game.
No kid is perfect. That’s not what’s being discussed here. His FACT pattern is way out of pattern.
And Dee Anderson ended up getting kicked off the team at LSU, so not exactly a good example of why Evans shouldn’t be viewed with skepticism for his behavior. It just means LSU made a mistake with Anderson they may be avoiding now. That said, I suspect they would have taken him had he not chosen UGA instead.
Kids do dumb stuff. happens all the time. he admitted it, took responsibility. That’s all he can do. if there is a history of trouble then maybe it warrants more thought by uga or whatever schools are in the mix. Its got to be pretty bad to walk away from a talent like that but if they come into your program and cause trouble they are not worth it. nobody is bigger than the team … and all that… Good luck to him. Sounds like a very prosperous and bright future if he can straighten up. There are plenty of wasted talents out there on the streets that could have been millionaires.
1. Most guys don’t end up being too much of a “locker room cancer” once they have to endure an SEC spring practice/fall camp with approx. 40 guys right on their level. As for any UGA fans thinking “he’s just not worth it” or “we don’t need him”, well, you’re an idiot. This kid could go to the combine right now and probably post the fastest shuttle and he squats 615 lbs with very little professional weight room training.
2. My optimistic take is that he’s signed with us but Kirby has gotten frustrated with the off-the-field issues and told him he’s holding the LOI/enrollment status until Evans clears stuff up. Evans then apologizes on national television (hard to do for any 18 year old super-athlete).
3. My second take is that his school is punishing him for something (dunno what) by holding his transcript or not allowing him to graduate early, so now he’s apologizing to Kirby for the fact that he can’t enroll until June (which his brother hinted at on Twitter).
4. My depressing take is simply that his ACT score came in and it’s not good enough so he can’t enroll early, but guys don’t usually have to go on national television for that.
What I’d take away from this is a) no coach in the country is dumb enough to leave off recruiting this kid unless he’s already signed with a different program, so I highly doubt UGA has simply told him “no”, and b) people predict “locker room cancer” and “diva” about these types of recruits all the time and it usually doesn’t turn out that way. Remember, nobody even knew for certain about Najee Harris’ signing until he showed up on Bama’s campus.
I want this kid at Georgia as much as any self-respecting Dawg fan. But winning at ALL COST has never been, and will never be, a part of my philosophy. This kid’s high school coach actually suspended him for several games at the beginning of the year and then sent him home (not just benched him, but home) hours before the state championship game. I don’t know, maybe high school coaches are dumb. Or maybe they just have standards!
From what I’ve heard this particular HS coach is extremely dumb.
Well, reading all the rationalizations in these comments has been amusing, but this one takes the cake.
The only reason you aren’t “rationalizing” is because he’s not considering your program. Deny it if you want. If he was considering Uf you would be “rationalizing” too.
1. I didn’t realize there was cake involved, I would have said this sooner.
2. Go do some research on the subject. Kids obviously shouldn’t get in fights with their coaches but coaches also shouldn’t pick fights with kids. The adult in the room let the situation get out of hand and from what I’ve heard from people with first-hand knowledge was basically asking for it.
3. Again there was mention of cake…
No, actually I wouldn’t be rationalizing if he was a Florida lean.
And you peaked my curiosity about this “extremely dumb” coach so I did do a bit of research. But I wasn’t interested in third-hand Twitter or Internet message board rumors. I can imagine that fanatical Texas high school football fans went after the coach who suspended the 5-star running back talent pretty hard.
I checked the guy’s bio. He’s a winning, highly respected high school sports administrator and football coach in Texas. Oh, and a former science teacher.
But of course, if the 5-star kid got in trouble it must have been the coach’s fault, right?
Well, if anything, the last thing this kid needs is to be around somebody like Tom Herman. UGA is as good a place as any for him to grow up and find some love and mentoring.
Somebody like Tom Herman? Please, enlighten us with some facts.
Ok, how about the guy who flipped off an ESPN camera on live television? He’s a smart aleck and everybody knows it.
Tennessee can tell you it only takes one or two of these locker room “cancers” to begin seriously derailing a program.
Very well stated. I can’t argue with any of your points. #4 – your take on the ACT – is likely the truth, since he had to miss the first half of a playoff game a few weeks ago to take the ACT.
Red flags
LOUD NOISES!!!!
I DON’T KNOW WHY WE’RE YELLING!!!!
LAST TIME I LOOKED IN THE DICTIONARY MY NAME IS RON BURGUNDY!!! WHATS YOUR NAME?!?!?!
I’m Brick Tamland. People seem to like me because I’m polite, and I’m rarely late. I like to eat ice cream and I really enjoy a nice pair of slacks. Years later, a doctor will tell me I have an IQ of 48 and are what some people would call mentally re-tar-ded.
Seems all he needs is a few Seniors on the team to take him under their wing, explain to him; college life and major football life as well and he’ll be just fine. There may be a few kinks to work out, but if he’s serious about his sport, he’ll get it together. If he has the grades, that should mean something..It’s ultimately up to him where he decides to take his life.
If Deon wants to be his daddy let him live with him but I think some humble pie with some SEC practices might straighten things out
Classes start Monday, do the press announcement at the bookstore while getting your books young man. Welcome to the wood chop hopefully
Taking advice from Crime Time Sanders is not a good thing.
Exactly
What really is the reason for keeping this “secret”? Lol is he just wanting THE spotlight? If that’s what really his intent, this guy’s gonna end up like Manziel. I don’t see ANY good minded reason for his decision to keep this hidden.
Hearing he’s academically ineligible and didn’t score adequately on standardized entrance test. Also off the field behavior. Offer has likely been made conditional.
Might be a 5* recruit, but how much locker room drama/cultural disruption is he going to bring to the team he ends up signing with? Seems like a lot of red flags.
I’m glad we don’t have to be in the drama on this. We already have our 5* running back on board.
Yes, Tank looked good in the UA game. Congrats!
He will be a good one for y’all.
I wish we would stop calling them kids. My son is 18 and he is stationed overseas serving his country. In my eyes he is a Man and he acts like one. So to ask these young men to act like men is not absurd.
…hopefully not another Isaiah Crowell…
I believe Saban’s made this point before, but do you think the trajectory of this kid’s life is better at an elite school with positive peer pressure from both peers and coaches or left to find his own?
The kid’s just now graduating from HIGH SCHOOL. Any of yall remember what that was like? I sure wouldn’t have apologized on national TV (much less been invited)
Kid looks like he belongs in Athens…
Yeah, he’s definitely not Aaron Hernandez material, so wouldn’t make it at UF
Looks like he’d jerk off into a Powerade bottle and make someone drink it. Definitely UGA.
Lol.
Lol, well played! No Powerade or me!
I recall about 10 yrs. ago that Deion Sanders took a troubled high school RB(got into a fight with his HC) into his home and that lasted about 3 wks. till he went back to granma’s. So this current case rings a bell. We’ll see how it pans out. the kid must be good, but is he worth it to the Head Coach ?
Opps *The RB was Noel Divine.
Looks like his crystal balls are switching from UGA.
Yep, headed your way. UGA insiders reporting he won’t be coming to Athens.
I’m not going to lie – I’d love to see that happen. Listening to him talk in his interview at the All American Bowl, though, he seemed set on UGA. I’m not getting my hopes up, but he’s a heck of a football player and any program would jump at the chance to get him on their team.
Very interesting… First time I’ve heard that.
Curiouser and curiouser
Young man…show the world that you are a “good kid” & then you do not have to tell us you are a “good kid”. Just my way of thinking.
I do wonder, who is dropping whom if the latest scuttlebutt is true. Lots of UGA fans did lots of defending of this guy a couple of days ago. Did Kirby decide the guy wasn’t worth the risk or did Evans turn on UGA?
Good questions and at this point, what difference does it make (hey, that sounds familiar). Btw, good luck to LSU. Hope Coach O brings it home!
Ruh-Row! Just watched the interview. Kid is apologizing to his college coaches so it sounds as if they pulled the scholarship.
Don’t care what he did, none of our business. With his talent, he will have opportunity to play for a great school and better himself. Wish it works out for him.
UF got its 5* RB this week when he transferred from Miami to the Gators! Thank you kindly. Truth though, the o line has to greatly improve or it won’t matter who is handling the rock.
day-um,, kid can’t give up on his twatter account for 2 seconds, might wanna see a “specialist”.