Evans is 100 percent solid to UW
To the delight of Wisconsin football fans, Craig Evans' commitment status has flipped from soft to solid.
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The four-star in-state defensive tackle, who originally committed to UW when Bret Bielema was the head coach, was still considering Michigan State in his recruitment. But Evans solidified his pledge to the Badgers at the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl on Friday.
"I'm going to the University of Wisconsin," Evans told BadgerBlitz.com on Friday morning. "That's the school I will be attending next year. It was a tough decision. It was between Wisconsin and Michigan State. The coaches at Michigan State came after hard, real hard, and I have a lot of respect for that program. I really wish I could have gone to both schools, but that's not an option.
"In the end, I just felt Wisconsin was the best fit for me. I think God put me in Wisconsin for a reason and I'm here to be a Badger."
Evans, who played his high school ball at Sun Prairie, moved to Wisconsin from Jackson, Miss., in 2010. The 6-foot-2, 313-pound standout is excited to continue his future close to home.
"Since I've been in Wisconsin, I feel like a lot of good things have happened to me," said Evans, who also had offers from Arkansas, Nebraska and Pittsburgh, among others. "I'm here for a reason and I want to stay and go to school at Wisconsin."
"I feel like I already have a big fan-base of supporters in Wisconsin and they have shown so much love for me. Every time I went to Wisconsin our relationship got better and better. I have the opportunity to get a world-class degree and represent the school and the people that love me. It's all a plus and I look forward to it."
An official visit to Wisconsin in mid-December sealed the deal, according to Evans.
"I took my official visit there (UW) about two weeks ago and me and coach (Gary) Andersen had a real deep conversation right before I left," said Evans, who also took officials to Arkansas and Michigan State. "We had a heart-to-heart and he said he wants to be my mentor at Wisconsin. For the head coach to say something like that, that really meant a lot to me."
With Signing Day just a few weeks away, Evans doesn't foresee any roadblocks standing between him and the Badgers.
"No problem," Evans said when asked about his grades. "I have to get my ACT score up to get eligible with the NCAA, but I don't think that will be a problem. I'm ready to go."
Wisconsin currently has 25 commitments in the 2014 class. Evans joins three-star Jeremy Patterson as projected defensive tackles.
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