Comp Picks: RB Zach Evans, Ole Miss

Photo: USA Today Sports

The Comp Picks Series

Comp Picks is a season-long, weekly series that looks at the incoming rookie class from all angles, tying everything together with an NFL player comparison, or a combination of players, to contextualize upside and risk.

Background

Junior, 6'0, 215 lbs

Zach Evans' story is lengthy, and NFL evaluators will hope the transfer to Ole Miss brings the college chapters to a close. Evans was once the #1 overall running back recruit in the 2020 class, outpacing Bijan Robinson until the very end of his recruitment cycle and drawing interest from Georgia, Alabama, LSU, Texas, and other prominent Power Five schools. Evans silently committed to Georgia but struggled to decide which school he would attend. Georgia let him out of his letter of intent, and his recruitment process seemingly ended in major programs pulling their interest. He landed at TCU, flashing the ability that led to his top-two national position ranking. Evans accumulated over 1,000 yards on the ground in his first two seasons despite never carrying the ball more than 92 times. He averaged 7.7 and 7.0 yards per carry but never earned a workhorse role. Evans transferred to Ole Miss following the 2021 season, and his 2022 Week 1 performance indicated he would have an ideal role moving forward. He carried the ball 20 times for 130 yards, dominating the backfield touches and succeeding in the process. He added two catches; one was blown up at the line of scrimmage on a swing pass, while he took the other 21 yards after the catch.

Scouting Report

Evans is a blend of elite athleticism and skill. He possesses more talent and upside when healthy and engaged than any 2023 running back prospect. Evans runs with pace, often practicing the "slow to, fast through" ability. This concept describes a running back's ability to remain patient as blocks develop before bursting through the hole the offensive line creates. Evans is skilled with second-level vision, and the patience he plays with combined with that vision helps him draw defenders into difficult situations. Once he gets through the hole, defenders struggle to tackle him due to his burst, speed, and flexibility. His spatial awareness allows him to be slippery, breaking virtually all arm tackles and forcing defenders to square him up. He stays close to his blocks until the last second, sometimes hiding from defenders before bursting through the line. He's a chunk-play back, consistently falling forward to finish his runs. Evaluators will question his pass-catching ability, but his arrival in the Ole Miss offense should ease concern. He has primarily natural hands and offers big-play ability after the catch.