COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF: Day 62 Drew Evans
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 306 pounds
Hometown: Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin (Fort Atkinson)
Class/Position: Redshirt Junior / Offensive Line
Twitter/X: (@drewber_evans)
The 2025 Hoosier Huddle Countdown to Kickoff carries on! As we march through the 100-day countdown to Indiana’s season opener against Old Dominion, we're shining a spotlight on every player set to suit up this fall. Today, we shift our focus to the trenches—where games are won and toughness is tested—and highlight a key piece of the offensive line: Drew Evans. Quietly consistent and physically imposing, Evans is ready to make his presence felt in a big way this season.
Drew Evans is the kind of all-around athlete coaches dream about. Hailing from Fort Atkinson High School in Wisconsin, Evans made his mark on the gridiron as a senior, earning First-Team All-Badger Small Football Conference honors. But his dominance didn’t stop there. He was a force across three sports, also lettering in basketball and track & field. On the hardwood, he picked up Second-Team All-Conference recognition. While in the throwing circle, he qualified for the Wisconsin Division I state meet in both discus and shot put—and even shattered a 55-year-old school record in shot put along the way.
Drew Evans’ football journey has been shaped by both loyalty and resilience. Coming out of high school, he was recruited to play at Wisconsin by renowned offensive line coach Bob Bostad. While Evans redshirted his freshman year in 2022, the connection with Bostad proved pivotal. When Bostad took over as Indiana’s offensive line coach in 2023, Evans made the move with him—trading Badger red for Hoosier crimson. Though he didn’t see game action in that season, that moment came in 2024 and he was exceptional. Evans broke into the starting lineup and quickly proved he belonged, starting the first nine games and logging 578 total snaps. He anchored the Hoosiers' protection unit and emerged as Indiana’s top-rated pass blocker according to Pro Football Focus. But just as his star was rising, Evans suffered a devastating Achilles injury just before the matchup against Michigan, cutting short what had been a breakout season. Even so, his impact was undeniable—and the foundation he laid in 2024 sets the stage for a major return in 2025.
“Drew is one of my favorite guys on the team. He's a big piece of the offensive line and one of the hardest workers I know. Losing a guy like that definitely hurts,” former Hoosier Kurtis Rourke said after the Hoosiers’ win against Michigan, the first game they played without Evans in the lineup. His absence was more than just a missing body up front; it was a loss of leadership, consistency, and protection. Who knows how things might’ve played out against powerhouses like Ohio State and Notre Dame if Evans had been out there.
As of now, Evans is still on the road to recovery, rehabilitating from his Achilles injury. But there’s good news—head coach Curt Cignetti expressed confidence this spring that Evans will be ready to roll by fall. Since his injury, the offensive line has changed a lot. The Hoosiers lost Mike Katic, Trey Wedig, Tyler Stephens, Nick Kidwell, and Cooper Jones this offseason due to them running out of eligibility and Noah Bolticoff & Vince Fiacable to the transfer portal. Cignetti has since brought in three new freshmen and three transfers too (Zen Michalski, Kahlil Benson, Pat Coogan).
With so many new faces in the room, Drew Evans’ path back to a starting role isn’t guaranteed, but don’t count him out. A relentless competitor and one of the most physical, aggressive blockers on the roster, Evans thrives on the kind of trench warfare that defines Big Ten football. An injury like the one he sustained is a lengthy recovery process that requires a lot of physical therapy, but if there’s anyone built to take on that challenge head-on, it’s Evans. He’s grinding every day with one goal in mind: to return stronger, smarter, and more dominant than ever in 2025.
The Hoosier Huddle Countdown to Kickoff continues with Day 61 tomorrow!
