Washington has been home to an impressive lineup of wide receiver talent in recent seasons, featuring standout names like Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan, Ja’Lynn Polk, Giles Jackson, and Denzel Boston. The Huskies are hopeful that Omari Evans will add his name to that distinguished list.
Evans, a 6-foot, 189-pound wide receiver from Penn State, announced his transfer to Washington for the 2025 season via social media on Wednesday night. With one year of eligibility remaining, he brings valuable experience to a young Huskies receiving corps that recently lost former five-star recruit Johntay Cook II, who abruptly left the team on Jan. 14.
During the 2024 season, Evans recorded 21 receptions for 415 yards and five touchdowns, helping Penn State reach the College Football Playoff semifinals. He appeared in 16 games, starting six, before entering the transfer portal after the Nittany Lions’ 27-24 loss to Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. Over three seasons at Penn State, he tallied 30 catches for 564 yards and seven touchdowns.
A Killeen, Texas native, Evans was a three-star prospect out of Shoemaker High, where he played cornerback and quarterback. Ranked the No. 77 wide receiver and No. 78 player in Texas in the 2022 recruiting class, he chose Penn State over offers from Vanderbilt, Rutgers, and several other programs, including Arkansas, Baylor, Oklahoma State, and Utah.
Evans made an impact early in his college career, playing in 13 games as a freshman in 2022 and nine more in 2023 before becoming a key part of Penn State’s offense in 2024. He ranked third in receiving yards for the Nittany Lions, behind tight end Tyler Warren—who won the John Mackey Award—and Harrison Wallace III. Despite averaging a team-high 19.8 yards per catch, he had limited opportunities due to Penn State’s offensive scheme, receiving just 38 targets in 2024—14 fewer than running back Nicholas Singleton.
Primarily utilized as a deep threat, Evans had an average depth of target of 20.8 yards, per Pro Football Focus, and his 59-yard touchdown grab against Kent State was Penn State’s longest reception of the season. He also excelled in contested-catch situations, securing 80% of his contested targets—the highest rate among Penn State receivers with multiple attempts.
At Washington, Evans will join a receiving unit looking to fill key vacancies, as starters Giles Jackson and Jeremiah Hunter exhausted their eligibility following the Sun Bowl. He could be a strong candidate to replace Hunter, who caught 36 passes for 490 yards and a touchdown in 2024. Though slightly smaller than Hunter, Evans’ experience as an outside receiver—he played only 25% of his snaps in the slot, mirroring Hunter’s usage at Washington last season—could give him a competitive edge over sophomore Rashid Williams, who had 11 catches for 138 yards and a touchdown as Hunter’s backup.
The Huskies have also bolstered their wide receiver group with several promising 2025 recruits, including four-star prospects Deji Ajose, Marcus Harris, Chris Lawson, Dezmen Roebuck, and Raiden Vines-Bright. Harris, Lawson, and Vines-Bright enrolled early for the winter quarter, giving them a head start in preparing for the upcoming season.
As Washington looks to reload at wide receiver, Evans brings veteran leadership and proven deep-threat ability, making him a potentially crucial addition to the Huskies’ offense in 2025.
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