Blue-chip linebacker growing closer with Florida after multiple visits

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Four-star class of 2028 linebacker Shamar Evans is forming a stronger connection with the Florida Gators.

The 6-foot-2-inch, 205-pounder out of Ruston High School in Louisiana has visited Gainesville twice over the past three months. He got his first taste of the Swamp in April, ahead of the Orange and Blue Game. He was impressed with the practice, the facilities, the fans and the culture at Florida.

“Everything was amazing and met my expectations in many ways," Evans said to Gators Online after his initial visit. "First, the fanbase is immaculate. You can tell the difference between a culture that really wants it and one that doesn’t. Florida has definitely climbed their way into the top five; no doubt."

Evans returned to Florida last month for the Grille in the Ville summer cookout. He spoke with position coach Greg Gasparato and defensive coordinator Brad White while getting to know some of the other targets on Florida's board.

"It was amazing," he also said to Gators Online. "Gainesville has like a deep spot in my heart. 
I love it out here… Every staff member here has some type of energy. It’s amazing. Every time I come out here, I feel like I’m at home. I know for sure I could come here and get developed right off. Just because of the amount of experience the staff has at my position here."

However, Evans now says he's "not at a list of top schools," keeping things more vague heading into the fall season. He still keeps track of which programs are staying in touch with him the most, including Alabama, LSU, Florida, Florida State, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Texas A&M.

The Rebels were the first team to offer him, and several Power Four programs followed afterward. He's played high school ball in both Louisiana and Mississippi, so LSU and Ole Miss are the so-called home-state teams to watch. Of course, Jon Sumrall and several members of the Florida coaching staff have experience in the Bayou State, coming from Tulane.

Alabama, Mississippi State and Texas were three early teams in contention, but they seem to be falling back at this point. Georgia and Ohio State have also shown interest, but Florida is setting him as a high-priority target.

Evans hopes to visit several programs over the coming year. Getting him back on campus in Gainesville during the fall is the next step to landing this blue-chip recruit.

Recruiting Summary

247Sports puts him at No. 181 nationally and No. 13 among linebackers on its standalone rankings. The 247Composite has him at Nos. 145 and No. 11, respectively.

Rivals has Evans ranked No. 173 overall and No. 13 among linebackers. Their industry rankings put him at Nos. 134 and 11, respectively. Florida sits atop the Rivals industry consensus predictions list with 35.0%, followed by Alabama (21.0%), Ole Miss (9.8%), Ohio State (8.2%) and Georgia Tech (8.2%).

ESPN has Evans at No. 137 on its ESPN Junior 300 and ranked No. 6 among inside linebackers.

High School Stats

2025: Finished 11-game sophomore campaign at Forest with 84 tackles, 11 TFL, 3 sacks, 1 INT, 2 FF, and 2 FR (1 return TD).2024: Played 9 games as a freshman at Lincoln Prep. Recorded 27 tackles, 6 TFL, 2 sacks, and 1 FR.

Offers

Power Four: Alabama Crimson Tide, Arkansas Razorbacks, Auburn Tigers, Baylor Bears, Florida Gators, Florida State Seminoles, Georgia Bulldogs, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, LSU Tigers, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Missouri Tigers, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Ole Miss Rebels, Ohio State Buckeyes, SMU Mustangs, Syracuse Orange, Tennessee Volunteers, Texas Longhorns, Texas A&M Aggies, UCLA Bruins, Virginia Tech Hokies,

Others: Bowling Green Falcons, Jackson State, Louisiana Tech Bulldogs.

Visits

  • Nov. 1: Ole Miss
  • Nov. 8: Mississippi State
  • Nov. 15: Alabama
  • Nov. 22: Texas
  • Jan. 31: Alabama
  • April 4: Florida
  • April 19: Georgia Tech
  • April: Georgia
  • June 19: Florida – Grille in the Ville, Friday Night Lights
  • June 21: Florida State camp

Florida Linebacker Targets – Class of 2028

  • No. 27 Nehemiah McCary (Maplesville, AL)
  • No. 40 Tahj Gray (Montvale, NJ)
  • No. 116 Andre Alexander (Bradenton, FL)
  • No. 147 Deshawn Simmons (Fort Walton Beach, FL)
  • No. 155 Ryan Peterson (Cornelius, NC)
  • No. 181 Shamar Evans (Ruston, LA)
  • No. 198 Jay Schell (Rabun Gap, GA)
  • No. 200 Skylar Alston (Raleigh, NC)
  • 3-star Cale Britt (Orlando, FL)
  • 3-Star Kaiden Buchanan (Tupelo, MS)

All top-20 in position, per 247Sports, and offered.

Florida linebackers – Rostered/Incoming

  • Seniors: Jaden Robinson
  • Juniors: Aaron Chiles, Myles Graham
  • Sophomores: Ty Jackson, Myles Johnson
  • Freshmen: Malik Morris
  • Class of 2027: No. 231 Ja'Bios Smith, 3-Star Ellis McGaskin

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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Blue-chip linebacker growing closer with Florida after multiple visits

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