Husker recruit Tyler Evans anticipates next year’s season

In college football, big plays can come from almost anywhere.

For Nebraska, they may come from just up the road.

Less than 20 miles from Memorial Stadium resides the state's most touted playmaker and member of NU's 2010 recruiting class, Waverly High School quarterback/defensive back Tyler Evans.

"He may be one of the fastest kids in the state," said Mike Johnson, the Waverly Vikings' head coach. "He's a 4.0 student and a great example to our young guys."

Evans, who, at 6 feet 2 inches and 180 pounds, runs the 40-yard dash in 4.48 seconds, has led Waverly's option attack deep into the state playoffs in consecutive years. All that success, along with his impressive measurables, has garnered him a scholarship offer from the school he grew up admiring.

"I'm excited to get down there," Evans said. "Growing up so close to the stadium; it's a dream."

As a three-sport athlete, Evans didn't know what sport he wanted to pursue at the next level, Johnson said. But when offensive line coach Barney Cotton came calling with a scholarship, it didn't take long for him to make up his mind.

"It was a pretty easy decision for (Evans)," Johnson said. "He wasn't sure if he wanted to play football or basketball, so he was waiting for the offers. He's excited."

Now that his decision is made, Evans knows just what he wants to do when he arrives on campus.

"I want to be one of the hardest workers out there and be able to help everybody," he said.

As of now, Evans could find himself on either side of the ball for the Big Red. He said he will most likely end up at receiver or defensive back, a spot at which he has proven to be a big play threat, piling up eight interceptions in his junior year while rushing for 900 yards and 15 touchdowns as the starting quarterback.

"Right now it's 50-50," Evans said about playing offense or defense. "Either way, it really doesn't matter."

For a kid who views his speed as his best attribute, his coach believes it's his mind that separates him from the pack.

"He's got a great head for sports," Johnson said. "He's a great competitor, and that's always a positive."

Living so close to Lincoln, Evans has had the chance to see the Huskers play each of their games this year, which, at times, hasn't been such a good thing. But Evans has taken the bad with the good from an enigma of a Cornhusker football team in 2009.

After watching NU fire out to a 4-1 start and climb as high as 15th in the national polls, he has seen things fall apart with consecutive home losses and a shaky win at Baylor with a revamped, but still struggling offense.

But even after such a roller-coaster ride of a season, Evans remains optimistic about NU's chances before he begins his career as a Husker.

"Obviously, you don't want to see losses," Evans said. "But it doesn't really discourage you. Hopefully we get a ‘W' next week. That'd be nice."

evancotten@dailynebraskan.com