re: Rashaan Evans opens up about his recruitment and more....

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You mention people wanting you to be the “hometown hero,” but even if you choose Auburn, you won’t automatically be that guy, right?

Evans: “That’s the thing. Let’s say I did go to Auburn, it would be like high school all over again, like I got a microscope on me because I’m here. Everybody here that is involved with football, they know me. The fact I came out of Auburn High School and I were to go to Auburn, I have no other choice but to be successful. It would almost be like people would see me as a disgrace to Auburn if I were to not be like everybody plans to make me. They’re really putting me on a pedestal right now. They’re like ‘We’re giving you the fame, the features, all this. Don’t screw up.’ It’s a lot of pressure, man. It’s a lot of pressure.”

Do you feel there would be that kind of pressure if you chose Alabama?

Evans: “Yeah. I don’t think it would be as much, but at the same time I’m in Alabama. I got other family members that are in Alabama, too. They’re waiting on that decision, too. They’re waiting to see if he can go against the grain, do something different. A lot of people are like, ‘You can change Alabama’s defense. You can be that guy they never had, that pass-rusher, the guy who can get to the quarterback.’ That’s what a lot of people are looking for me to do. … To be honest with you, I think a little bit with UCLA people. There’s not really a lot of UCLA fans here, but some people are like, ‘Maybe he can do something different. Maybe he could be that guy who actually took a risk, went out there to UCLA and took over.’ There’s a lot less pressure there. Every time I have a conversation with Auburn coaches and Alabama coaches, they really look at me and say this: ‘Don’t be afraid to go to either one of us, don’t be afraid to go to either one of us and then go to UCLA and it’s not really where you want to go.’ They know I got pressure on me. It’s obvious to everybody. Every time I do get a lecture on the school I should be going to, they all, at the end of the conversation they’re like, ‘OK, make the best decision for you,’ but at the same time they always end it with ‘War Eagle’ or ‘Roll Tide.’ They’re still going to sell it, but at the same time they know the pressure that’s on me. They want to sell it to me, but at the same time they don’t want to put me under so much pressure to where it’s, ‘Oh, you’re just selling. You’re not caring about my decisions or where I’m coming from.’ They want to have both, the best of both worlds. I think my whole situation is kind of like Reuben (Foster)’s, but different in many ways. But just the pressure thing, it’s about the same, to be honest with you, for me, because a lot of people are riding on me for this decision. It will be very interesting these next few weeks to see what happens.”

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