Washington has had its fair share of standout wide receivers in recent years, including Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan, Ja’Lynn Polk, Giles Jackson, and Denzel Boston. The Huskies are hoping to add Omari Evans to that list of impressive talent.
Evans, a 6-foot, 189-pound wide receiver, announced on social media that he would be transferring to Washington for the 2025 season. After spending three seasons at Penn State, he still has one year of eligibility left.
In his 2024 season with the Nittany Lions, Evans played in 16 games, starting six, and caught 21 passes for 415 yards and five touchdowns. His contributions helped Penn State reach the College Football Playoff semifinals.
Over his three years at Penn State, Evans totaled 30 catches, 564 yards, and seven touchdowns. He entered the transfer portal after Penn State’s loss to Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl.
Evans, originally from Killeen, Texas, was a three-star recruit coming out of Shoemaker High, where he played cornerback and quarterback. He chose Penn State over schools like Vanderbilt and Rutgers.
In his first two seasons, Evans saw significant playing time, appearing in 13 games as a freshman and nine as a sophomore. He became a key part of the offense in 2024, ranking third in receiving yards behind tight end Tyler Warren and Harrison Wallace III.
Evans averaged 19.8 yards per catch, leading the team, and was used primarily as a deep threat. His longest reception was a 59-yard touchdown catch against Kent State.
At Washington, Evans will help fill the void left by two of the Huskies’ starting wide receivers, Jackson and Jeremiah Hunter, who ran out of eligibility. Evans could be a candidate to replace Hunter, who caught 36 passes for 490 yards in 2024.
While Evans is slightly shorter and lighter than Hunter, his experience as an outside receiver may give him an advantage over sophomore Rashid Williams, Hunter’s backup last season.
Evans will also compete with a group of incoming freshmen, including four-star recruits Deji Ajose, Marcus Harris, Chris Lawson, Dezmen Roebuck, and Raiden Vines-Bright, who enrolled in time for the winter quarter.
