IU’s Mitch of all trades

Unlike some members of the IU football team, Mitchell Evans is not an outspoken personality. He just plays the game –  wherever that may be.

For the last two years, Evans has essentially played the role of utility man for the Hoosiers, the man who can do just near anything when it comes to football.

“He is such a good athlete, you can move him around anywhere on the field wherever your team needs him,” senior wide receiver Andrew Means said.

And move him is just what the Hoosiers have done.

Entering fall camp, Evans knew playing safety behind juniors Austin Thomas and Nick Polk was inevitable, and the addition of former four-star recruit Jerimy Finch ended that conversation. Making a contribution at quarterback, which hinged on the status of junior Kellen Lewis, lasted only in the spring.

That’s when it dawned on assistant coach Billy Lynch: Play him as a wide receiver.
Lynch, who coaches the wide receivers, loved the idea because Evans is a complete athlete.

“There’s no question he’s one of the more versatile players on our football team: to do so many different things, and to do so many things so well,” Lynch said. “Mitchell is just too good of an athlete and too valuable to this football team to be third in line at any position.”

What has surprised Lynch – and Evans, to a degree – is how seamlessly he has fit in with the wide receivers. Though he has only two catches for 19 yards through the first two games, Lynch said Evans is a viable asset who will be used frequently throughout the year.

“From a terminology standpoint and from really knowing the offense, I knew that would be pretty easy for him just because he was a quarterback,” Lynch said. “But just how smoothly he transitioned to running routes and catching the football, I was surprised with that.”

Terry Hoeppner recruited Evans as a quarterback with the intent of playing him there, but Evans’ versatility led the Hoosiers to pursue other options.

When Thomas sustained an injury at the beginning of the 2007 season, IU coach Bill Lynch called on Evans to fill in at safety. Aside from throwing nearly 5,000 yards and rushing for 2,000 yards in high school, Evans dabbled in playing defensive back.

One rainy night at Western Michigan showed his versatility.

Evans stepped into the starting role for only the second time and flawlessly gelled into the position, intercepting two passes and becoming the first true freshman to do so since Tracy Porter in 2004.

In the spring, with Lewis suspended indefinitely, Evans returned to his original position under center. However, Lewis and a bundle of freshman quarterbacks joined the team in the fall, prompting Evans to go out for position No. 3.

“It gives me an opportunity to get on the field and at more than one position,” Evans said. “I don’t have to focus on having to beat out these guys to get on the field. I can just go out there and play each position with more confidence of getting on the field.”
Playing three different positions at the collegiate level is comparable to changing majors three times. Evans has done it with ease.

To play safety, you need good hands. To play quarterback, you need to understand the offense. As a wide receiver, you need both.

So when he makes a catch over his shoulder during practice as he runs down the sideline with a defender draped on him, it’s no surprise to his teammates when he comes away with the football.

Then he trots back to the huddle, takes a breather and does his job – change as it might – again.

“I like it so far,” Evans said. “It’s definitely different – it’s a lot more running. ... Right now, I’d just say that it’s getting there. I’m getting better at it every day.”