LSU commit Ondre Evans has 5-star potential
It’s not hard to find 2024 Nashville (Tenn.) CPA defensive back Ondre Evans impressive athletically. The newly minted LSU commit caught the eye of On3 early on, which led to his move to a Top 100 prospect.
LSU put the press on and got him on board. Now, cornerbacks coach Robert Steeples has one of the top prospects in America as far as athleticism goes pledged to play for him.
On3 director of scouting Charles Power and On3 assistant director of scouting Cody Bellaire, who run On3’s rankings, see Evans’ traits that are impressive.
“Ondre Evans is another who moved up for us in the rankings based off of his physical skills,” Power said. “This is a guy who I think when you’re looking at the corner group, has some of the better physical traits among the corner class. He’s over 6-foot, 185-190 pounds. He is much bigger than most of his peers. I think he’s probably the biggest in terms of mass, top corner, blue-chip corner and has very good length as well. He pairs that naturally big frame with some of the best speed at corner. He finished second in the state in the 100 meters. Ran a personal best of 10.55. Phenomenal time. He can really move at his size. The baseline physical tools are definitely there to be a high-end corner.”
The frame and verified times are what stands out to Bellaire as well, who doesn’t have questions about his athleticism.
“We see the corner prospect and we first talk about size. 6-0.25, almost 190 pounds with great length. He’s got nearly 33-inch arms, 10-inch hand so he’s going to grow into a really pretty looking corner prospect. He’ll probably be just over 200 pounds when he gets to college and has crazy top-end speed. He’s touched 10.5 in the 100-meter, consistently in that 10.6 range. His movement skills, you see it on the tape, his change of direction, the looseness in his hips, his ability to get to top speed quickly. From the height, weight, speed perspective, Ondre Evans hasn’t touched the field as a senior and he already checks those boxes.”
Ondre Evans shines at LSU camp
Evans was a clear-cut top performer at LSU Elite Camp, which came shortly before he committed to the Tigers. His coverage skills impressed in a big way in all facets.
“We had the luxury of seeing him in-person at LSU Elite Camp, he was arguably the best prospect offense or defense out on the field that day. The thing that really shined when it came to Ondre Evans at camp was his ability to cover,” Bellaire said. “He can play in the slot, he can play to the field, to the boundary. He’s not afraid to play press at the line of scrimmage. He’s extremely sticky in coverage. His ability to play the football is also very solid. You see some of that offensive ball skills come into play as a secondary defender. To me, the only thing left in terms of the eval for Ondre Evans is senior tape.”
While On3 and others saw Evans shine in Baton Rouge, now he’s got to put it all together as a senior. For Bellaire, there are some things he wants to see, but is optimistic he’ll see just that.
“The question is the junior tape and all you’ve seen from him to this point from a film perspective is slightly underwhelming,” Bellaire said. “You don’t see a lot of plays on the ball, it’s a lot of chase down tackling, he’s not overly physical when it comes to being a run defender. However, you’re asking these guys to make plays as pass defenders. These guys aren’t paid to tackle on the outside. They’re paid to prevent receivers from catching the football. I think the best football for Ondre Evans is ahead of him.”
What’s left to prove as a senior?
On Friday nights, Evans has the chance to dominate as a senior with how he’s developed over the past two years. From not earning an LSU offer ahead of his junior year to picking up one this summer, he’s done a lot of good things and more good things could be ahead.
“Moving forward, we want to see how he continues to progress as an overall player, feel for the game, his cover ability,” Power said. “I do think all of that physical ability is there. He’s one that I think his ceiling is very high if he continues to develop technically and feel for the game. The fact that he plays receiver helps with the ball skills. I think baseline tools are really encouraging and they’re there to be one of the top corners in the cycle. We’ll continue to watch and get a better feel for his technical skills. Based off the feedback and reports at LSU camp, I think you have to be very encouraged there.”
What’s at stake for Evans when it comes to his senior season from a rankings perspective?
“Can he put more film out there that shows he can turn the ball over and that he can make all sorts of plays,” Bellaire said. “If he looks anything on senior tape like he did at LSU Elite Camp, this kid is a no-brainer Top 100, Top 50 prospect. He could potentially become a first rounder, honestly, if the film looks the way we expect it to as a senior.”
Power sees what LSU saw, which is an impressive prospect who can be developed by Steeples into a premier defensive back.
“A lot of moldable clay to work with for a corner coach. Might not come in extremely polished, but corner is a stop watch position and the size and speed that he brings to the table make him a blue-chip prospect and a really nice get for LSU.”
Evans is ranked by On3 as the No. 84 overall prospect, No. 12 cornerback nationally and No. 1 prospect in Tennessee for the 2024 cycle.
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