Zach Evans discusses growing up as a Cowboys fan, dreams of playing in NFL

It’s no secret the Dallas Cowboys are looking for a complementary running back to pair with newly franchise-tagged star Tony Pollard. One top prospect, former Ole Miss running back Zach Evans, fits the bill – and he grew up as a Cowboys fan.

The Houston native revealed his fandom at Pro Day after an interview with Dallas.

“It’s kinda crazy,” Evans told reporters of meeting with the Cowboys. “My mom and them, they grew up as Houston Texans fans, I’m the only one that wasn’t. I’m pretty good, they ain’t.”

Evans, a former five-star prospect, had his first 1,000+ all-purpose yards season of his career this year for the Rebels. The 6-foot-0, 215-pound back averaged 6.5 yards per carry and had 10 total touchdowns. He had just over 900 yards rushing, despite splitting reps with Quinshon Judkins and operating in an offense with a running quarterback.

With just under a month to go before the draft, Evans is continuing to prepare to fulfill his childhood dream. A hamstring injury hampered his preparation early this offseason but he feels back to his usual self now.

“This is something I’ve dreamed about since elementary,” Evans said. “Since I was a kid, I’ve always known what I wanted to be in life. I was able to prepare how I wanted to towards the end but the injury did slow it down a little bit… I was able to get everything right.”

Evans began his collegiate career in the DFW area with the TCU Horned Frogs. While with TCU, he ran for 648 yards and 415 yards respectively in two seasons. Although he has shown an ability to catch passes as well, it was an infrequently used talent for him in college. He averaged roughly one catch per game.

In ESPN’s latest mock draft, Evans comes off the board in the fifth round. He’s the No. 12 running back prospect on the best-available board for this position.

More on the 2023 NFL Draft

The 2023 NFL Draft takes place from Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri. The event location this year is the plaza just outside of Union Station.

Round 1 of the NFL Draft begins at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Apr. 27. Rounds 2-3 will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Apr. 28, and Rounds 4-7 will begin at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Apr. 29. The draft broadcast runs throughout the weekend on both ESPN and NFL Network.