Virginia Tech running back Darren Evans announced Thursday that he will forgo his final year of eligibility and enter the NFL Draft.
“I’ve put a lot of thought on this with my family, and I’ve decided to declare for the draft,” Evans said. “This is a great opportunity for me to take on the challenge of going to the NFL, which has always been a dream for me.”
Evans rushed for a team-high 850 yards and 11 touchdowns this season. He returned to the field in 2010 after missing the entire 2009 season with a torn ACL. That experience weighed heavily into his decision.
“I just feel like that would be a gamble to come back,” Evans said. “Just because my knee feels fine, you never know. I’d rather just get my foot in the door now and start to learn how everything goes at that next level rather than come back and worry about whether I get hurt or if I get enough carries — you just never know. “
Evans is two classes shy of graduating. He plans on taking a class at a school near his hometown of Indianapolis, in addition to an online class through Tech to earn his degree this semester.
“I definitely am going to get that degree,” Evans said.
Evans has not signed with an agent.
“I’m not in a big rush for that right now — all of this is still pretty overwhelming.”
Evans recently received feedback from the NFL Draft’s advisory panel on where he’s projected to be taken in April’s draft. Hokies’ coach Frank Beamer told Evans he’s projected as fourth to seventh round pick.
“Anything better than (the fifth round) is what I’m looking for,” Evans said. “I’m shooting for higher, but if not I’ll be just as content.”
Evans’ teammate in the backfield, redshirt sophomore Ryan Williams, reportedly also plans on entering the draft.
According to a source that has spoken to Williams throughout the process of his decision, Williams has already begun preparing for the draft.
“He’s already past the decision of staying or going — it’s on to the next step.”
When reached by telephone Thursday morning, Williams denied that he has made a decision.
When asked if he had selected an agent or a training facility to help him prepare for the draft, he said “I still haven’t decided that, I have a lot of people to talk to — where I train depends on who my agent is.”
He said he would announce his intentions in the next week. That announcement could come later today, as a team spokesman has announced a teleconference at 3 p.m. The release does not specify the nature of the teleconference.
Williams acknowledged speaking to a large number of agencies as he continues the process of making a decision. He had not chosen an agent as of this morning.
According to the source, Williams has made plans to train with Tony Villani of XPE Sports in Delray Beach, Fla.
Williams set an ACC freshman record with 1,655 rushing yards and 22 total touchdowns in 2009. A torn hamstring forced Williams to miss four games in 2010, and he finished with 481 rushing yards on 111 carries with nine touchdowns.
He would leave Tech as the program’s 14th leading rusher of all-time.
A version of this article appeared in the Jan 6 issue of the Collegiate Times.
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Thanks for the great year and half. Good luck on Sundays.
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Bud reportedly interviewed at Pitt yesterday. If he leaves, there goes the program.
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Ryan Williams text: "Whatever you have read...I am still in the process of deciding whether I want to leave or not. I am talking to people." - Kyle Tuckersn
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I hope can get that hammy right and he does well. He had quite a freshman year. Congratulations
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Hokiesports.com says Darren Evans is leaving...nothing about Ryan Williams
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good evans Bye is leaving now if he stays Ryan can run the damn ball
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we wish you nothing but the best! make us proud
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we wish you nothing but the best! make us proud
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Both of them should leave because both would excel at the next level easily. Watch them be outstanding where as their talent was wasted here this year despite success the previous 2 seasons. I don't know about you but I thought before this season that Ryan/Evans/Wilson could be in the runner for Heisman but he wasn't even close in the ACC. More wasted talent in a poor offensive system. Look how well Eddie Royal is doing.
Why didn't Stinespring utilize the option more with these powerful running backs? Why didn't we devise some trick running plays. With these talented running backs we should have scored more like Oregon. No...instead look how we lost to JMU and then got blown out in the Orange Bowl with less than 80 running yds.
It won't be long before great talented players won't want to play here because our offensive philosophy and overall system sucks because they don't design plays that maximize the talent of the players, instead they make them execute plays that don't work and make them conform to a system that performs poorly against good defenses.
Fire Stinespring and Newsome! Or prepare to look like Miami or UVA in a few years.
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Look at those who have committed for next year. They're mostly defensive players. I believe word has already gotten out within Virginia:
If you want to play in a top notch offense, don't come to Blacksburg.
Less than 30% of those who have committed to VT are offensive players. Why would a 3+ star wideout want to go to Tech to play college ball in a high school offense?
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its because we're really deep on the offensive side of the ball for the next couple years, we hardly have any offensive scholarships available this year. we have like 5 quarterbacks and 11 wideouts already on the team, lol.
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and they're lousy. they need development and/or replacing.
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Additionally, with the limited number of scholarships we had...Stinespring went out and got us a 0 star kid from Lynchburg who has only played two years of football. Im just thinking he may have wanted to get some O-line guys who are not converted tight ends!!! We are going to have to lose (not just recruits) for a couple of years before Stinespring and Newsome get fired.
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But we may have to lose Beamer before Stinespring and Newsome get fired - via retirement, most likely. I wonder what Bud would do with Stinesome... I also wonder what Shane would do with them...
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That's if Bud doesn't leave for a Head Coaching Job somewhere else first. If I were Bud, I'd say to Beamer myself, "make changes or I'm leaving". I wouldn't blame bud for leaving elsewhere, this program is going nowhere on it's current track. We've peaked as a program. We may by sheer luck and a cup cake schedule get another 10 win season next year or the year after that and perhaps 1 more undeserved Orange Bowl bid but that's all I see coming.
Look at Florida State and Clemson's recruits. Hopefully other ACC teams will get better in the next 2 seasons which will either force VT to step up it's game and make changes or worse case become a mediocre 6 win season team like Miami is now.
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