Franklin Regional grad Mike Evans Jr. to play football at West Virginia

Mike Evans Jr. is proof the NCAA transfer portal works — if you have patience and are willing to do a little self-promoting.

Evans has a new college destination and he couldn’t be more pleased.

Relieved to finally arrive at a decision, Evans announced Saturday he will play next season at West Virginia.

The Franklin Regional alum will head to Morgantown after a sputtering start to his college career made him leave Robert Morris.

He put his name in the portal in mid-October and immediately began to hear from Division I and II schools.

Now that he has connected with one, he is using the word “blessed” a lot. He has three years of eligibility.

“WVU was actually the very first school that recruited me when I hit the portal,” Evans said. “They have been with me for well over a month and have recruited me up to this point. After a few visits and getting to see the atmosphere and fans, my family and I knew it was home. There’s not one better college football atmosphere.”

Evans, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound wide receiver who runs a 4.41-second 40-yard dash and has a 41.2-inch vertical leap, also had offers from Youngstown State, Stetson and East Tennessee State.

Glenville State, West Liberty and Kentucky Christian also expressed interest.

He played in three games at Robert Morris, mainly on special teams.

West Virginia offered a partial scholarship.

“I cannot wait to see the impact I’m able to make at such a storied program,” he said. “I’m beyond blessed.”

Rekindling the recruiting process was not an easy task, but Evans was willing to roll the dice to get a better shot at seeing the field and possibly be a pass-catching threat at the next level.

“This process was even better than out of high school,” Evans said. “It was a gamble because a lot of transfers (in the portal) end up with nothing and get stranded. A lot of programs told me how having an older guy come in can benefit the team in a positive way a lot, so I had some great opportunities come my way. I worked hard throughout the process and I was blessed enough to have these opportunities.”

Evans’ high school career was punctured by injuries, but he made big plays when he was healthy.

“I’m gonna work my tail off at WVU to make a positive impact for the program,” he said. “It’s definitely a fresh start; it is a completely different environment there and I’m excited to see what the future holds.”

Country Roads… I’m Comin’ Home. ???????? #COMMITTED @WVUfootball pic.twitter.com/IkE1EEhCge

— Mike Evans Jr /3⭐️ (@MikeVEvans) December 4, 2021