Penn State picks up 2022 commitment from WR Omari Evans
Penn State's Class of 2022 grew again on Saturday, as Killeen, Texas, native Omari Evans announced his decision to the join the Nittany Lions.
Listed at 6-foot, 170 pounds, Evans earned an offer from head coach James Franklin at the end of June following an unofficial visit to University Park. Because of an NCAA decision to allow 2022 prospects to workout for coaches this summer, Evans took on the challenge of testing and doing field drills while on campus, and it proved to be a smart decision, as he ran a 4.3-second 40-yard dash that afternoon, as well as a 4.2-second shuttle.
That now makes him the fastest player in Penn State's Class of 2022.
"Honestly, at first, I didn't want to go to Penn State," said Dorian Evans, Omari's mother. "But for my children, I'm always going to keep an open mind and put my best foot forward. I think what impressed me the most about their coaches was that they never put pressure on Omari. It was more like, 'this is what we have to offer, we know you'll be a great fit, but it's up to you and what you decide.'
"I respected that approach. I liked the way they handled that."
Related: 10 Things to Know about new Penn State commit Omari Evans
In addition to his unofficial visit in June, Evans returned to State College two weeks ago for the White Out win over Auburn. Since his school, Shoemaker, didn't have a game that week, it allowed him to not only take an official visit, but also get on campus early that Friday, Sept. 17, giving him an opportunity to learn about not just the football program, but the university as a whole.
"For me, seeing the academic center, which I believe they call the MAC [Morgan Academic Center], that was very important," said Evans' mother. "I wanted to meet the people who are going to make sure he's getting all the help he needs. Also, the atmosphere that day was great. There were a lot of people there from Auburn, and I'm from the south, so to see all the people that were there for that game, and yet the atmosphere was still very calm, very polite. There was a lot of mutual respect between all the fans.
"I remember being in the middle of College Gameday, with ESPN there, and both fans are doing their chants, but it never got ugly. It never got disrespectful. That was just part of the day, and I loved that. To see that as a parent, I was like 'Ok, this is a good thing.'"
Like so many other recruits who were in attendance that Saturday, the atmosphere surrounding and inside Beaver Stadium also left a big impression on Evans. He told us the day after the game that he enjoyed spending time with a few of the 2022 commits that day, too, notably five-star defensive end commit Dani Dennis-Sutton.
"He was real cool," Evans said, referring Dennis-Sutton. "I met a lot of the commits actually. It was fun going out on the field, too.”
Evans officially chose Penn State over Rutgers and Vanderbilt, although it's believed that the Scarlett Knights were PSU's true competitor for this commitment. Evans took an official visit to Piscataway the first weekend in June, and then returned to North Jersey Sept. 1. He had a personal day with Greg Schiano and his staff on Sept. 1, and then attended the season opener against Temple a few days later, Sept. 4.
That's when many started to believe that Rutgers had emerged as the team to beat, but as noted above, his official visit to Penn State a few weeks later changed everything. When Evans tweeted just a few days after the Penn State visit that he planned to end his recruitment today, it was a sign that the Nittany Lions may end up winning this one after all.
Related: Where Penn State stands after Omari Evans' commitment
Through the first four games this season, Evans has led Shoemaker to a 3-1 record. Primarily playing quarterback, he's totaled 787 yards of offense so far, including 360 yards passing and 427 yards rushing. Just last night, he had five touchdowns in a 58-35 win over Copperas Cove.
Evans racked up more than two dozen scholarships total. Notable programs included Arkansas, Baylor, Boston College, Cincinnati, Houston, Indiana, Kansas State, Maryland, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Utah, Virginia and Wake Forest.
With the addition of Evans, Penn State now has six players committed in the class who could potentially play wide receiver at the next level. Anthony Ivey, Tyler Johnson and Kaden Saunders are all assured to play the position, along with Evans. Cristian Driver will also likely play that position, although it should be noted that he has potential to play safety as well, similar to Mehki Flowers.
The Nittany Lions now have 26 high school prospects committed in the Class of 2022, while Harvard transfer offensive lineman Spencer Rolland will also be considered an initial counter towards the class.
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