'27 AL EDGE Marquis "MJ" Evans (Auburn commit)

#4
#4
Spain Park High School (Ala.) standout defensive end Marquis Evans picked up an offer from Tennessee over a year ago, and he is now ready to take an official visit to Rocky Top this weekend. He previews the upcoming trip with Volquest.

Since picking up the offer from the Vols, Evans has built a strong relationship with Rodney Garner throughout the recruiting process.

“I have been talking to Coach Garner the most,” Evans said of his relationship with Tennesseee. “He came through and offered back in the spring of 2025, and he has seen something in me all the way through. He is always calling and checking on me and sharing his wisdom with me. That relationship is great. He knows a lot about football and how to make you great. I am really looking forward to getting down there and letting my family get to know them more.”

The family aspect of the visit is going to be a key focal point for Evans during his Rocky Top official visit.

“I have seen most everything there. I have seen campus, I have seen those things. I want to spend some time learning about their sports science program because that is what I am looking at for my major, so I want to see how they operate. But I am just really excited for my family, my parents to get down there, too. It will be like a vacation for them. They haven’t really been on a campus too much like that, so I am just really excited to have them and my siblings with me, and see them get to experience that. So, I know it will be fun.”

Learning more about his football fit will also be important during this trip. Garner has been clear to Evans about where the Vols see him playing, but having a chance to learn more about the role in the film room, will be something he looks forward to during this visit.

“They see me as a field end,” Evans said. “Coach Garner has always told me that he sees me as a field, so I know most of that, but I have not had a chance to watch enough of their games to know exactly what it looks like, and exactly what their ends do. So, I am really looking forward to learning more about that as well.”

Evans has a busy official visit schedule, as he will head to Tennessee, then Miami, then Auburn, then Florida, then South Carolina to close out the month of June.
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-VQ
 
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#5
#5
Marquis Evans has connected with Rodney Garner since the Vols offered him over a year ago. His recruitment has picked up significantly since that offer, and he will now take official visits to Florida, Miami, Auburn and South Carolina. Something that continues to impress him is Tennessee’s long-term belief in him, so this weekend will be important for him to have an opportunity to deep dive into the program even more.

-War Room
 
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#6
#6
Tennessee did a nice job with defensive lineman MJ Evans during his official visit. He was plenty impressed with his multi-day stay on Rocky Top. He has had a long-time bond with Rodney Garner, and that only improved over the weekend. The Vols appear to be a team that could factor in this recruitment for the duration. In fact, we feel like Tennessee has set the bar that others will have to beat. He has some heavy-hitters left on the official visit list, so it is possible there could be several twists and turns.
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-VQ
 
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#10
#10
Buoyvol2000 said:
Really not liking the direction our DL recruiting is going
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I’m going to say this a little louder for those in the back. 6 of our 10 freshman d line commits happened last cycle between 7/4 and 12/3. 5 of them between Labor Day and 12/3. And 4 of the 10 happened the week of signing day
 
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#11
#11
Buoyvol2000 said:
Really not liking the direction our DL recruiting is going
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I think only 1 DL will be out of eligibility after this season. So we bring back a ton. They will likely grab 2-3 in the portal. The thinking is why spend 600-800k on a high DL when you can spend it on transfer who is physically ready to play?

I will say we certainly have not gotten RG at Auburn level recruiting from Garner. Plus, he’s done up short in the portal the last two cycles.
 
#13
#13
Pawleysvol said:
I think only 1 DL will be out of eligibility after this season. So we bring back a ton. They will likely grab 2-3 in the portal. The thinking is why spend 600-800k on a high DL when you can spend it on transfer who is physically ready to play?

I will say we certainly have not gotten RG at Auburn level recruiting from Garner. Plus, he’s done up short in the portal the last two cycles.
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RG is certainly still a great recruiter but I agree re your second statement

CRG recruiting style worked better pre portal/NIL

And that’s ok

Coaching speaks for itself
 
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#15
#15
swchandler1988 said:
I’m going to say this a little louder for those in the back. 6 of our 10 freshman d line commits happened last cycle between 7/4 and 12/3. 5 of them between Labor Day and 12/3. And 4 of the 10 happened the week of signing day
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Don't think when they committed matters as much as the number you just said. TEN D-LINE FRESHMEN. What does adding young defensive lineman this class add to the program beside paying those guys to sit. Tennessee needs DL help, but they need high-level immediate impact guys from the portal.

I know everyone is adjusting to this new philosophy of team building, but it's much more efficient and practical. There is no point to pay someone that will not play. That does not mean said recruit is bad -- there is just no path to the field, so it would be a waste of resources. This isn't basketball... you can't just pay everyone a lot of money. You have to pay for a roster of 105 people, the older the better. They got the young depth with literally double digit current TRUE FRESHMEN. A tiny DL class from prep this year is NOT a trend, it IS a calculated decision to use resources properly
 
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#18
#18
swchandler1988 said:
I’m going to say this a little louder for those in the back. 6 of our 10 freshman d line commits happened last cycle between 7/4 and 12/3. 5 of them between Labor Day and 12/3. And 4 of the 10 happened the week of signing day
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That’s fair, and we did bring in a good amount last year, but it still seems like we’ve had a lot more misses than usual
 
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