Penn State transfer tracker: Why did Washington prioritize former Lions receiver Omari Evans in the portal?

Penn State football lost 16 players to the NCAA transfer portal this offseason. Most were hoping to turn limited playing time in State College into a bigger role elsewhere. That isn’t the most accurate way to describe Omari Evans’ decision to move on, however. The Texas speedster who reportedly once clocked a 4.31-second 40-yard dash had ample opportunities to play for the Lions. He started six and played in all 16 games a year ago, finishing with 21 catches for 415 yards and five touchdowns. A year earlier, he hauled in four passes for 94 yards and a touchdown. And, he played in every games as a freshman in 2022, as well.

Evans has yet to speak publicly about his reason for departing James Franklin’s program. However, it’s safe to assume that he felt his skillset wasn’t being utilized effectively enough in the Penn State offense, and that a fresh start could lead to bigger numbers. Whether or not those were his primary desires, a combination of factors prompted him to enter the portal on Jan. 14, just days after the College Football Playoff semifinals. By Jan. 22, he landed on Washington as the school he would continue his college career at.

Penn State and everyone else across college football is preparing to kickoff preseason camp. Thus, the attention most days is hyper-focused locally. But, in the leadup to the season, BWI is tracking down some of this year’s transfer class to see how they’re doing. Beau Pribula was up first last week and you can read that story here.

We review Evans’ situation below.

What’s the latest on former Penn State receiver Omari Evans at Washington?

According to Washington Huskies on SI, Evans had a strong first spring practice with his new team. But, by practice four, he had suffered a lower-body injury that kept him on the sidelines for much of the remainder of the practice sessions. But, that limited sample size was enough to have his team’s quarterback intrigued.

“He’s brought a lot of versatility, a lot of speed, and he’s ready to go,” Huskies passer Demond Williams Jr., told BWI at Big Ten Media Days in Las Vegas last week. “He’s just a little quiet. You know, you had to warm up to him a little bit, but now he’s super comfortable, and he’s ready.”

Speaking last Wednesday at Big Ten Media Days, Washington coach Jedd Fisch discussed what the Huskies hoped to gain by adding the former Penn State receiver.

“We needed speed at the receiver position. I’m hopeful that he could bring to us what Jacob Cowing brought to us at Arizona, which is somebody that can play inside and take the top off the defense,” Fisch said. “I felt like that was the one thing that we were missing in our system. I felt like we probably needed to continue to improve in that spot.”

Denzel Boston will lead the Washington receivers room. Like at Penn State, Evans’ potential won’t be questioned in Seattle. But, similar to his time with the Lions, he enters preseason camp out west with hopes of stringing enough consistent production together to earn a bigger, more productive role in 2025.