SEC Country: Ole Miss LB Recruit Plays the Piano

LB Donta Evans, who is headed to Ole Miss. Photo by Michael Carvell/AJC

Donta Evans is a 2016 linebacker from Archer (Ga.) High School who will enroll at Ole Miss on Wednesday. When he’s not recording tackles all over the field, Evans has a relaxing hobby.

“I really enjoy playing the piano.” Evans said. “I’ve been playing since I was in sixth grade. I learned to play ‘The Entertainer’ when I was in eighth grade.”

The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Evans admitted that playing the piano is very similar to playing football.

“I really liked my piano teachers over the years. Once I started enjoying playing, they saw the potential in me and just pushed me to be better, just like a football coach. That’s why I kept playing and getting better. I haven’t played as much as I would like to recently, but I still think I’m pretty good.”

Here are five more things about Evans:

1. Twitter rumors:  Evans said that he has seen his fair share of false rumors about him on social media. “I’ve had some crazy things written about me on Twitter.” Evans said. “Since I’m committed to Ole Miss I had some Mississippi State fans saying how I’m not going to be any good and all that. I looked at Louisville and Kentucky a lot to during my recruitment and every time I would post a picture from my visit, I would always see the rival fans going back and forth.  It was funny to read through it all.”

2. Country boy: One reason Evans picked Ole Miss was because it reminded him of home. “I’m more of a country guy than a city guy” Evans said. “Before I moved to Georgia, I lived in a small town in South Carolina, and Oxford had that small town college feeling. The campus is beautiful too.” Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze is a big reason why Evans felt so comfortable. “He really cares about me and my family, and he does everything the right way.”  Evans said. “I talked with him on Tuesday over the phone and he made sure me and my family was doing well, and wanted to make sure I was ready to become a Rebel.”

3. Why Oxford: “I just loved it there. I got the offer from Ole Miss in the spring of my junior year. I took visits to Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Kentucky, and Arkansas last April, and then committed to Ole Miss in August.” Evans said. “I really wanted to play in the SEC, I loved the environment there on my visit, and I connected with the coaching staff. They have great fans too who really love and appreciate the team.”

4. Played with some of the best: Evans has played alongside some of the best prospects in the country at Archer, but the player he said was most impressive might be a little surprising. “The best player I played against in high school might be Grayson running back Cameryn Brent,” Evans said. “He doesn’t have many offers but he played great when they beat us in our only regular season loss this year. He had a couple touchdowns against us and caught the ball really well out of the backfield. He just ran really hard and don’t think he got enough respect.” Brent is a senior waiting on FBS offers.

5. Future coach: “I really want to come back and be a coach after football. My dream job would be to coach defense somewhere in college.”