Donta Evans had his cake and ate it, too, on Sunday.
The 3-star linebacker from Archer High School committed to Ole Miss in an unusual way, by choosing the Rebels from a table of team-oriented cakes as opposed to the traditional table of baseball caps.
“My aunt and my mom, they just went with it,” Evans told the AJC. “I told them to make it nice, and they did.”
The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Evans held offers from 17 schools, but his final decision came down to five SEC programs – Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Auburn and Ole Miss.
However, Evans tells the AJC that his time spent at Ole Miss, particularly with defensive line coach Dave Wommack, was unmatched.
“My first visit was amazing,” Evans said. “I spent all day with coach Womack and he showed me the greatest time that any recruiter has showed me. He actually stayed the whole day with me. He did not leave my side all day long.”
Evans says Arkansas was a close second, followed by Missouri, Auburn and Kentucky. Everything from the coaching staff to the city of Oxford checked out, Evans said, enabling him to make a decision he feels comfortable with.
Evans, the No. 19 inside linebacker in the country, says he’s looking forward to the possibility of playing multiple positions in the Rebels’ defense next season.
“The discussion has been that I can play all three positions: inside, outside and even come off the edge a little bit like a standard defensive end, kind of how Bud Dupree did last year with Kentucky,” Evans said.
The Archer High School product gives Ole Miss its 19th commitment in the class of 2016. He’s the third linebacker to commit to the Rebels, too.
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