Texas Football: Zach Evans Story Sounds Familiar to Longhorn Fans - Sports Illustrated

The top-rated recruit at his position in the class commits to your team from out of state, making a major recruiting victory for your program. Then just a short time later, he asks for a release on his letter of intent. 

Anyone who has watched Texas high school football over the past couple of years can tell you Zach Evans is a special talent. The Galena Park, North Shore running back was highly coveted by nearly every major blueblood program in the country (including Texas at one time) before eventually signing with running back factory Georgia. 

Unfortunately for Evans and Bulldog fans, it didn't work out and less than a month later he's looking for a new home. 

What does this have to do with Texas? Not much on the surface since the Longhorns have their bell-cow back for 2020 in Bijan Robinson already, but it does seem eerily similar to a situation that took place on the Forty Acres last year. 

Most Texas fans remember the Bru McCoy saga. Also a No. 1 player at his position, McCoy signed with Texas and even enrolled early to join the team for spring ball before eventually asking for his release to transfer to USC and play closer to home. 

While the two sagas have similar themes, they are of course different situations. Evans will be able to go to another school with no restrictions while McCoy's stint in Austin cost him a year of eligibility at USC. However, when you add in 2019's Ale Kaho - a Washington signee who left for Alabama after signing a letter of intent - you can't help but wonder if these outliers could become a trend in college football. What are the factors causing this to happen? What do these players have in common?

Out-of-state status 

With technology allowing coaches to see film and contact any player in the country from anywhere they want, recruiting is more national than ever.  Gone are the days where coaches divided up fertile recruiting grounds by region. 

All three of these guys originally signed with out-of-state schools. Evans was a Texas kid heading all the way to Georgia. McCoy imported from California to Texas and Kaho went from Nevada to Washington. 

Recruiting classes these days are built nearly as much by the players as they are the coaching staff. These groups often build a sense of community and family before they ever step on campus together through group texts and social media. However, nothing fully prepares these kids for the reality of moving 1,000 or more miles from the place where they grew up. The truth is, some kids are going to take to it and others won't. 

In the case of McCoy, he headed back toward the west coast and a much shorter drive to where he grew up. 

Kaho's situation was a little different as he ended up even further away from home in Alabama, but not having family close by in Washington certainly could not have helped the situation. 

Evans' circumstances are unclear right now, but judging by the schools he's looking at the second time around (notably Texas A&M and LSU) both are much closer to Galena Park than Athens, Georgia. 

High pressure recruiting 

The early signing period has been a mixed blessing for college football. 

For some, It's an opportunity to end the headaches and hassles that come with the process and get on with their lives. No more calls and texts from head coaches trying to get in one last sales pitch and no uncertainty that scholarship statuses could change over the holidays. 

For others, the accelerated timeline adds more pressure to an already high-pressure situation. Imagine trying to buy a car with a group of the best salesmen in the country calling, texting and sending you messages on social media constantly. It would be hard to filter through the noise and find the vehicle that's best for you. 

Now imagine trying to do that as a teenager with legions of fans adding even more pressure. It's understandable that there's going to be some buyer's remorse every now and then. 

So, is it good for college football?

The short answer is yes. It's good for the game to have players playing and going to school where they want.

Yes, it hurts a program to lose a guy they counted on so late in the game. It's almost impossible to replace a high-talent player after everyone else has signed. 

It is going to require coaches and programs to adapt even more, communicate with signees and new freshmen and make sure everyone is adjusting to their new situation.

But what's the alternative? Keeping unhappy players hostage at a place they don't want to play?

With the recent addition of the NCAA transfer portal and a recent agreement to allow players to make money off likeness rights, the college game seems to be finally swinging in favor of the players. And that's a good thing.  

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January 09, 2020 at 01:04AM
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Texas Football: Zach Evans Story Sounds Familiar to Longhorn Fans - Sports Illustrated
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