5-Star RB Zachary Evans Released from Georgia NLI Amid LSU, Texas A&M Interest

Georgia released 5-star running back Zachary Evans from his national letter of intent, according to 247Sports' Steve Wiltfong.

Evans is the No. 1 running back and No. 14 player in the 2020 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

Chris Hummer of 247Sports reported Monday it looked like Evans was leaving Georgia and "expected to zero in on LSU and Texas A&M."

Wiltfong added Evans received a "full release, no restrictions," which allows him to join another school and play immediately in 2020.

The Houston native ran for 4,867 yards and 76 touchdowns over his final three years of high school. 247Sports' Gabe Brooks compared him to Los Angeles Chargers running back Melvin Gordon, who had a prolific career at Wisconsin and is a two-time Pro Bowler in the NFL.

Evans participated in the Under Armour All-American Game and earned MVP honors for Team Pressure.

During the game, he made a cryptic comment in an interview on the ESPN2 broadcast.

"I want to apologize to my college coaches and apologize for the things that they are hearing," he said, per Saturday Down South's Dave Holcomb. "I'm really a good kid. It was stupid. It was an immature decision. I was being selfish to my teammates, and I'm ready to come in and show them I'm ready."

Especially with most of the top recruits already signed, adding Evans would be a significant boost for LSU or Texas A&M.

The Tigers might have to replace Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who's eligible for the 2020 draft. Bleacher Report's Matt Miller ranked Edwards-Helaire as the No. 10 running back available in his most recent big board.

For the Aggies, Evans would be an upgrade over Isaiah Spiller, who ran for 946 yards and 10 touchdowns as a true freshman. Adding another talented running back would relieve some pressure on Kellen Mond and the passing game as well.