'07 IN RB Darren Evans (Virginia Tech Verbal)

[osugrad21]

Rivals $

6/27

tOSU is not aggressively recruiting Darren.

 

[RB07OSU]

Rivals $

6/27

tOSU is not aggressively recruiting Darren.

No big surprise with the offer to Herron. May as well move this to the '07 recruiting thread.

 

[OSUBucks22]

Scout $

7/11

As was last reported, tOSU hasn't shown much interest in Darren. His favorites are Mississippi St. (offer), Wisconsin, and Virginia Tech seem to be the favorites, but neither of the last two has officially offered to date.

 

[OSUBucks22]

No link, but VA Tech has offered Evans and he will be committing to them very soon...

 

[Buckskin86]

July 16, 2006
Warren Central star picks Va. Tech

By Pat McKee
[email protected]

The chance to play tailback for a top Atlantic Coast Conference program was too appealing to resist for Warren Central High School football star Darren Evans.

Given that opportunity with a scholarship offer to Virginia Tech, Evans on Saturday made an oral commitment to play for the Hokies beginning in 2007.
"I'm real excited, and they're real excited," said Evans, who rushed for 2,169 yards and 39 touchdowns last fall in helping Warren Central to its third straight Class 5A state championship. "The (recruiting) process has been fun but hard because for a long time I didn't know where I was going."
The 6-foot, 212-pound senior-to-be picked Virginia Tech over Wisconsin, Mississippi State, Indiana and Louisville. Days after running a 4.5-second 40-yard dash at a Virginia Tech camp, the process was wrapped up Saturday morning when Warren Central coach Steve Tutsie returned a call to the Hokies and handed the phone to Evans.
"He talked with them for about 20 minutes and suddenly had this big smile and I knew," Tutsie said. "Darren's not one to show his emotions all that much."
The state's top-rated running back and fourth-rated player overall by SuperPrep.com, Evans said the opportunity to be a running back -- some schools were recruiting him as a linebacker -- was a key factor in his decision. So, too, was Virginia Tech's history of producing players who moved on to the NFL.
"That's my ultimate goal," Evans said of the NFL. "Virginia Tech can help me get there."


Call Star reporter Pat McKee at (317) 444-6182.


Copyright 2006 IndyStar.com. All rights reserved

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060716/SPORTS02/607160436/-1/ZONES01

 

[jwinslow]

CNNSI HS

All-star candidates

Ten contenders for Player of the Year honors

Tuesday August 8, 2006

By Jon Mahoney, Special to SI.com, SchoolSports.com
Many players deserve consideration for Class of 2007 Player of the Year honors, but we narrowed it down to 10 preseason candidates. Unlike the players in the Top-100 rankings, these guys aren't necessarily on this list because of their potential to excel in college. Instead, they made the list based on how they performed last year and how they are expected to play this fall. Players are listed in alphabetical order.

...
RB Darren Evans, Warren Central (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Evans is a classic power back who has played a big role in Warren Central's success. Evans ran for 2,169 yards and 39 touchdowns on 237 carries (9.2 yards per carry) as a junior last year to lead the Warriors to their third consecutive state championship. Evans, who was an All-State selection a year ago, totaled 2,245 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns as a sophomore.

 

[osugrad21]

Darren Evans proved to be too much to handle as the Virgina Tech-bound recruit ran through and around the Terre Haute South defense for 177 yards on just 12 carries and scored six touchdowns as top-ranked Warren Central steamrolled their way to a 62-13 win Friday night.

Link

 

[osugrad21]

Link

2006 All-East Football Player of the Year
Warren Central's Evans says his success was a team effort
By Steve BrooksStar correspondent
Star correspondent


Warren Central running back Darren Evans finished his career with more than 7,000 yards rushing. He had a state-record 61 rushing touchdowns this year. But Evans won't take the credit for his season or career. There are too many other people involved.

"I share all of that with all my teammates, my linemen and my coaches," said Evans, the Star East Player of the Year and the frontrunner for the state's Mr. Football award. "Their names should be in the record book with me. They worked so hard to open the holes. They set me up, and it's up to me to do the running."
Following those holes, Evans finished the season with a state-high 2,806 rushing yards and capped Warren Central's year by battering Carmel's defense -- which had allowed just three points in five postseason games -- for 201 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries. Warren Central's 35-14 win was the school's fourth-straight Class 5A state title -- a feat unprecedented in state history.
Evans will take his talent to Virginia Tech next fall. But it goes beyond natural ability.
"I think people lose track of what a harder worker in the weight room that Darren is," Warren Central coach Steve Tutsie said. "He studies scouting reports, and he knows where to look for the holes. It's great when your best player is also your hardest worker. And he gets hit on every play. It takes a lot of stamina to do that in a 15-game schedule against the teams we play."
Tutsie liked the way Evans elevated his game following the graduation of 2005 Mr. Football Dexter Taylor, Warren Central's starting quarterback the previous two seasons.
"We had Dexter the past two seasons taking pressure off Darren," Tutsie said. "I think Darren realized he was going to be the man this year, and he knew that everyone else was going to be the man. Teams loaded up to stop Darren Evans, and he still had an amazing season."
Tutsie is the Star East Coach of the Year after leading the Warriors to a 15-0 mark and the state championship. He helped Warren Central win state titles in 2003, 2004 and 2005 and coached the team to its first undefeated season since 1985.
Offense
Pos. Player School Ht. Wt. Year WR Tyren Futch Tech 6-1 195 Sr. WR Todd Miller Mount Vernon 5-10 160 Sr. WR Ben Zirkle Greenfield-Central 6-0 155 Jr. OL Brian Alspaugh Scecina 6-3 235 Sr. OL Wes Bowling Mount Vernon 6-1 280 Sr. OL Sherman Brooks Warren Central 6-3 310 Sr. OL Andrew Laska Eastern Hancock 6-5 235 Sr. OL Andrew McDonald Warren Central 6-6 280 Sr. QB Ryne Weppler Mount Vernon 6-3 190 Sr. RB Brett Bragdon Eastern Hancock 6-1 180 Sr. RB Darren Evans Warren Central 6-1 212 Sr. RB Kevin Lovell Scecina 5-10 190 Jr. RS Mark Thompson Tech 6-2 175 Sr. P/K Kevin Wyn New Palestine 6-0 180 Sr.
Defense
Pos. Player School Ht. Wt. Year DL Jeff Boyd Warren Central 6-3 280 Sr. DL Taylor Clarkson Mount Vernon 6-3 270 Jr. DL Dontae Crook Tech 6-4 205 Sr. DL Joe Napariu New Palestine 6-2 225 Jr. LB Jamie Arnold Warren Central 5-11 215 Sr. LB Jake Canterbury Scecina 6-1 205 Sr. LB Arthur Harvey Warren Central 5-11 195 Sr. LB J.D. Hill New Palestine 6-0 190 Sr. LB Desmond Johnson Tech 5-9 167 Sr. DB Jerimy Finch Warren Central 6-2 212 Sr. DB Brian Meiser New Palestine 6-1 190 Sr. DB Dusty Moloy Scecina 5-10 150 Sr. DB David Seibel Mount Vernon 6-3 190 Sr.
Player of the Year: Darren Evans, Warren Central.
Coach of the Year: Steve Tutsie, Warren Central.
HONORABLE MENTION
Eastern Hancock: Chris Jilg, Brad Kirby, Tyler Lawyer, Gary Russell.
Greenfield-Central: Kyle Addison, Michael Clark, Reece Green, Troy Meyers, Ben Richter, Dillon Rosing, Dylan Snyder.
Howe: Kendal Downing, Markus Glover, Cameron Hansen, Quinton Jones, Zack Rogers.
Mount Vernon: Josh Mitchell, Chase Page, Bobby Ryan, Brad Voltz.
New Palestine: Jason Carnes, Brendon Guedel.
Scecina: Brian Alspaugh, Daniel Davis, Josh Myers, Robert Thilman, John Van Benten.
Tech: Antonio Bledsoe, Waymon Howard, Curt King, Bernard Mickle, Josh Person, Kevin Richardson, Jeremy Wallace.
Warren Central: Ryan Heap, Alan Nordholt, Michael Spears, Keith Clark, Brad Ellington, Jujuan Harris, Ed Hazelett, Trey Jackson, Rodney Morton, Adrien Robinson, Dexter Smith, Bryce Stone, Matt Upshaw.

 

[Bucks21]

The quotes from the article above tell you a lot about this kid. Coach gives him a lot of praise and in turn gives his lineman their credit too. I know the lineman love to hear their back talk about them. Anyway if anyone has seen this kids senior film I would like to know what you think.

 

[osugrad21]

Anyway if anyone has seen this kids senior film I would like to know what you think.

I think he showed better progress as a senior than Robert Hughes did...Darren has a better burst and more "big play" capability in my opinion. Robert is a quality back but I see him as more of a "grinder" whereas I can see Evans as a more versatile back.

With Morgan Williams out of the equation, I would put Evans behind Clay and Green but ahead of Hughes.

Jmho though.

 

[mcbucks]

Does he go to the same school as Walter Offutt?

Guess I could look up Walter's thread and fid out?

 

[WaitingforKickoff]

SunshinePreps

I was very impressed with Darren's junior film. He was very quick at finding a hole and even quicker hitting it. He also has a good initial burst of speed and does a good job maintaining it. If he drastically improved during his senior campaign, he must be really good now.

 

[OSUBucks22]

Guess I could look up Walter's thread and fid out?

Yes he does... Also same school as Michigan verbal Jerimy Finch...

 

[LordJeffBuck]

Here's what the BPRT ahd to say about Darren this past spring:

Darren Evans, Indianapolis Warren Central (6' 0", 208 lbs, 4.6 forty); Ohio State (not offered) in the mix (Louisville, Indiana, both offered; Notre Dame, Michigan). Evans is one of the top players in Indiana, and he plays for one of the top programs in that state. Last season, in a run-oriented offense, Darren piled up 2,138 yards and 39 touchdowns; as a sophomore, he added 2,248 yards and 27 TD's. There is mutual interest with Ohio State (the Buckeye coaches maintain regular contact, Evans has made unofficial visits to Columbus), but there are also plenty of running back prospects in the Midwest, including several good ones in the state of Ohio. Update 05/20 - Darren claims that his co-leaders are Mississippi State (offered) and Ohio State (not offered).

Buckeye's Top Prospect for 2007 - Spring Edition

 

[wadc45]

Some more info:

Was the Student Sports National Sophomore of the Year in 2004, as well as an all-state pick.

Evans is the type of back that hits the hole hard and gets to the second level quickly. He has a good combination of size and speed and will use his power when he can. Evans has a strong lower body. He also has good feet, quickness and balance. Evans has enough speed to be a home run threat. He also can catch out of the backfield.

Darren Evans will be a three-year varsity starter in 2006. Evans was named Sophomore Player of the Year in 2005 after rushing for 2,248 yards and 27 touchdowns. As a junior (14-1), Evans rushed for 2,148 yards and 39 touchdowns and was an all-state selection; three-time state champions; Bench: 350/Squat: 425/Power Clean: 265

Also, he is related (by marriage) to OSU basketball commit Walter Offutt, who also attends Warren Central.