Evans posted a graphic showing his commitment on his X (formerly Twitter) social media account with was reposted by Baylor’s official football account on the same platform.

Evans, a 6-foot-2, 250-pound junior this past season for the Hilltoppers, was the Conference USA Preseason Defensive Player of the Year heading into the 2023 campaign following a dominating sophomore season for WKU.

The Dublin, Georgia, native was limited to six games in 2023, suffering a season-ending injury during WKU’s 35-28 win at Louisiana Tech on Oct. 5.

In the six games he appeared, Evans totaled 30 tackles, with one for loss and one sack. He forced a fumble and recovered two, including a 27-yard return for a touchdown in the first game of the season against South Florida, and had one pass breakup and one quarterback hurry. He had a season-high nine tackles during WKU’s 31-10 win over rival Middle Tennessee on Sept. 28.

As a sophomore, Evans started all 14 games for the Hilltoppers and led the charge to the team’s R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl championship. Evans was WKU’s leading tackler for the year with 106, including 14 tackles for loss and nine sacks. He also broke up four passes, hurried the quarterback eight times and recovered two fumbles. In WKU’s bowl-clinching victory against Rice, Evans returned a fumble for a touchdown, one of the WKU defense’s six touchdowns on the season. Evans and the Hilltopper defense also forced 32 turnovers on the season, which was the best mark in the country. Evans a CUSA First Team selection in 2022.

Evans, who spent four years at WKU, started to make an impact during his second season as a freshman due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Evans played in all 14 of WKU’s games in 2021 and totaled 44 tackles, including four for loss and two sacks.

At Baylor, Evans is set to reunite with former WKU strong safety Kendrick Simpkins, who earned All-CUSA second-team honors in 2023 before transferring after the season and signing with Baylor. Evans and Simpkins were teammates for four seasons at WKU.

Former Western Kentucky assistant football coach Jamar Chaney, who coached outside linebackers in 2023 for the Hilltoppers, joined Baylor’s staff in February as the program’s inside linebackers coach.

Stepp, Davis land rookie mini camp invites

Former WKU players Markese Stepp and Kenyonte Davis have received invitations to participate in NFL rookie mini camps following this past weekend’s draft.

Stepp got an NFL mini camp invitation from the New York Jets, the same team that picked former Hilltopper wide receiver Malachi Corley in the third round of the NFL draft on Friday. Davis got a mini camp invitation from the New York Giants.

Stepp, a running back who started his collegiate career at USC and then played at Nebraska, spent his final two seasons at WKU. The Indianapolis native played in 15 games for WKU over two seasons. During that time, he rushed for 476 yards and three touchdowns on 97 carries. He also had seven receptions for 73 yards over two seasons with the program.

Davis, a defensive tackle from Columbia, Tennessee, spent five seasons at UT Martin before transferring to WKU for his final year of eligibility. He started each of the Hilltoppers’ 13 games at nose tackle during his lone season with the program. He recorded 32 tackles – 16 solo and 16 assists – with 1.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks. Davis had a season-high seven tackles in WKU’s game against Liberty on Oct. 24.

Stepp and Davis join Corley and former WKU two-year starting quarterback Austin Reed, who signed as an undrafted rookie free agent with the Chicago Bears on Saturday, in NFL camps.{&end}