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Pete ThamelESPN
Ole Miss tailback Zach Evans is leaving school and declaring for the NFL draft, a source told ESPN on Friday.
He rushed for 936 yards and nine touchdowns for the Rebels this year.
Evans is the former No. 1 ranked tailback recruit in the country from the Class of 2020. He attended TCU for his first two seasons and combined in his three college seasons he rushed for 1,999 yards and averaged 6.9 yards per carry.
Evans was a recruiting coup for former TCU coach Gary Patterson, as he chose the Horned Frogs over offers from LSU, Alabama, Texas A&M, USC and Ohio State. He was regarded as the highest-rated recruit in TCU history upon his commitment and the only five-star recruit in school history.
Evans originally signed with Georgia before flipping to TCU.
Evans, who transferred to Ole Miss in January, played well in his one season with the Rebels, as he averaged 6.5 yards per carry this year and combined for a formidable duo with freshman star Quinshon Judkins.
Evans is 6-foot, 215 pounds and caught 12 passes for 119 yards and one touchdown this season. His best game came at Arkansas when he ran for 207 yards on 17 carries, scoring one touchdown.