Hawk-Item – – Returning in 2023 for fifth season . . . former walk-on was put on scholarship in 2020 . . . candidate for Burlsworth Award . . . one of 12 seniors named to 2022 Player Council . . . one of 10 juniors named to 2021 Player Council . . . moved from linebacker to defensive end during 2019 spring practice . . . earned Dean’s List recognition spring, 2020.
2022 Honors – – Brett Greenwood Award . . . second-team All-Big Ten by league media . . . honorable mention All-Big Ten by league coaches . . . preseason fourth-team All-Big Ten by Phil Steele . . . 2022 – – Listed as second team right defensive end following spring practice . . . saw action in all 13 games . . . started at defensive end in 7-3 opening win over South Dakota State as defense allowed just 120 yards total offense . . . two solo tackles and two assists vs. SDSU . . . matched career-best with 2.5 tackles for loss vs. SDSU, and added two QB sacks . . . recorded first safety of career with a QB sack in the fourth quarter . . . started at defensive end in 10-7 loss to Iowa State . . . four tackles vs. ISU, including one solo stop and three assists, to go with one QB pressure . . . started at defensive end in 27-0 win over Nevada as defense allowed just 151 yards total offense . . . four tackles vs. Nevada, including one solo takcle and three assists, with a shared tackle for loss and one QB pressure . . . started at defensive end in 27-10 win at Rutgers as defense allowed just 61 net rushing yards . . . four tackles at Rutgers, including one solo stop and three assists, with one tackle for loss . . . started at defensive end in 27-14 loss to #4 Michigan . . . four tackles vs. Michigan, including one solo tackle and three assists . . . started at defensive end in 9-6 loss at Illinois . . . three assisted tackles at Illinois . . . started at defensive end in 54-10 loss at #2 Ohio State . . . recorded one solo tackle at OSU, collecting a QB sack and forced fumble, while recovering the fumble and scoring first career touchdown on an 11-yard return . . . started at defensive end in 33-13 win over Northwestern as defense allowed just 18 net rushing yards and 177 yards total offense . . . matched career-high with five tackles vs. Northwestern, including three solo tackles and two assists, with one QB sack . . . started at defensive end in 24-3 win at Purdue as offense allowed just 87 net rushing yards and 255 yards total offense . . . two tackles at Purdue, including one solo tackle and one assist, including a QB sack and also one QB pressure . . . started at defensive end in 24-10 win over Wisconsin as defense allowed just 51 net rushing yards and 227 yards total offense . . . two tackles vs. Wisconsin, including one solo tackle and one assist, with one tackle for loss . . . sack and forced fumble recovered by Iowa on Wisconsin’s final possession of the game, along with one QB pressure . . . started at defensive end in 13-10 win at Minnesota . . . three tackles at Minnesota, including two solo tackles and one assist . . . started at defensive end in 24-17 loss to Nebraska . . . one solo tackle vs. Nebraska . . . started at defensive end in 21-0 Music City Bowl win over Kentucky as defense allowed just 68 net rushing yards and 185 yards total offense . . . recorded four assisted tackles vs. Kentucky, including a shared tackle for loss and QB sack.
2021 Honors – – Coaches Appreciation Award, defense . . . 2021 – – Saw action in 34-6 win over #17 Indiana as defense allowed just 77 net rushing yards and 233 yards total offense, recording one solo tackle and one QB pressure . . . saw action in 27-17 win at #9 Iowa State . . . recorded one solo tackle at ISU, which was a QB sack . . . also recorded one pass break-up that led to an interception and added one QB pressure . . . saw action in 30-7 win over Kent State as defense allowed just 79 net rushing yards and 264 yards total offense . . . career-high five tackles vs. Kent State, including three solo stops and two assists . . . also recorded two QB sacks and one QB pressure . . . saw action in 24-14 win over Colorado State as defense allowed 95 net rushing yards and 250 yards total offense, recording three assisted tackles . . . saw action in 51-14 win at Maryland as defense allowed just 97 net rushing yards and 271 yards total offense, recording one solo tackle . . . saw action in 23-20 win over #4 Penn State . . . four tackles vs. PSU, including two solo stops and two assists, along with one QB pressure . . . saw action in 24-7 loss to Purdue, recording one solo tackle . . . saw action in 27-7 loss at Wisconsin . . . three tackles at Wisconsin, including two solo tackles and one assist . . . saw action in 17-12 win at Northwestern as defense allowed just 93 net rushing yards . . . four tackles at Northwestern, including two solo tackles and two assists, including one sack and two QB pressures . . . saw action in 27-22 win over Minnesota . . . four tackles vs. Minnesota, with one solo stop and three assists, including QB sack and forced fumble on final play of the game . . . saw action in 33-23 win over Illinois as defense allowed just 64 net rushing yards . . . two tackles vs. Illinois, including one solo tackle and one assist, incluing a sack . . . saw action in 28-21 win at Nebraska . . . two tackles at Nebraska, including one solo stop and one assist . . . saw action in 42-3 loss to #2 Michigan, recording one assisted tackle . . . saw action in 20-17 Citrus Bowl loss to #22 Kentucky . . . two tackles vs. Kentucky, including one solo tackle and one assist, including one sack.
2020 – – Saw action in all eight games, recordoing three solo tackles and four assists, with two tackles for loss, one sack, four pressures and one pass break-up . . . saw action in 24-20 loss at Purdue, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 21-20 loss to Northwestern, recording one solo tackle, his first sack of the season . . . saw action in 49-7 win over Michigan State as defense allowed 59 rushing yards and 286 yards totalo offense . . . two tackles vs. MSU, including one solo stop and one assist, including a tackle for loss and three QB pressures . . . saw action in 35-7 win at Minnesota, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 41-21 win at Penn State, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 62 net rushing yards . . . saw action in 26-20 win over Nebraska, recording one assisted tackle . . . saw action in 35-21 win at Illinois . . recorded three tackles at Illinois, including one solo stop and two assists . . . saw action in 28-7 win over #25 Wisconsin as defense allowed 56 net rushing yards and 225 yards total offense . . . one pass break-up and one QB pressure vs. Badgers.
2019 – – Saw action in eight games, recording five solo tackles and two assists, with four sacks . . . saw first action of career in 30-0 win over Rutgers, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 125 yards total offense . . . saw action in 20-0 win at Northwestern as defense allowed just 64 net rushing yards and 202 yards total offense . . . two tackles at Northwestern for first career statistics, including one solo and one assist . . . career-best 1.5 QB sacks and one QB pressure . . . saw action in 23-19 win over #7 Minnesota as defense allowed just 63 net rushing yards . . . career-best three tackles vs. Minnesota, including two solo stops and one assist . . . also career-high 1.5 sacks vs. Minnesota . . . saw action in 19-10 win over Illinois . . . one solo tackle vs. Illinois, a QB sack for minus five yards . . . saw action in 27-24 win at Nebraska, recording one solo tackle . . . saw action in 49-24 Holiday Bowl win over #22 USC, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 22 net rushing yards.
2018 – – Redshirted after joining the team as a walk-on.
High school honors – – Earned all-state honorable mention honors as a senior . . . first-team all-conference as a junior and senior . . . honorable mention all-conference as a sophomore . . . Career – – Three-year football letterman as linebacker and quarterback . . . three-year starter at quarterback . . . football team captain as a junior and senior, first time ever at Ames HS . . . holds school records for career touchdowns and all-purpose yards . . . rushed for 771 yards and 11 touchdowns, while passing for 2,438 yards and 25 touchdowns as a senior . . . recorded 60 tackles and forced two fumbles . . . as a junior rushed for 614 yards and 10 touchdowns, while passing for 1,580 yards and 13 touchdowns . . . as a sophomore rushed for 439 yards and five touchdowns, to go with 1,276 passing yards and 17 touchdowns, while helping prep team reach state playoffs . . . also lettered in track and basketball.
Personal – – Born 6/29/99 . . . enterprise leadership major . . . carried a 3.2 prep GPA . . . parents are Abby and Spence Evans . . . father Spence Evans also played football at Iowa . . . high school coach was Bruce Vertanen.