Desmond Evans

Desmond Evans
No. 98 – Saskatchewan Roughriders
PositionDefensive lineman
Roster status
Active
CFL status
American
Personal information
Born (2002-08-26) August 26, 2002 (age 24)
Listed height
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight
255 lb (116 kg)
Career information
High schoolLee County (Sanford, North Carolina)
CollegeNorth Carolina (2020–2024)
NFL draft2025: undrafted
Career history
* Offseason or practice squad member only
Stats at Pro Football Reference
Stats at CFL.ca

Desmond Evans (born August 26, 2002) is an American professional football defensive lineman for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Early life

Evans was born on August 26, 2002. He attended Lee County High School in Sanford, North Carolina. As a senior, Evans recorded 76 tackles, with 35 for loss, 11 sacks, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and two blocked kicks. On December 18, 2019, he signed a National Letter of Intent to play college football at the University of North Carolina. Evans was a four-star recruit by 247Sports and was ranked 35th in the nation. He also played in the 2020 Under Armour All-America Game.

College career

Evans played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels from 2020 to 2024 at outside linebacker and defensive end. In 56 games, he had 124 tackles, including 20.5 for loss, nine sacks, seven pass break ups and two fumble recoveries.

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand spanWingspan40-yard dash10-yard split20-yard split20-yard shuttleThree-cone drillVertical jumpBroad jump
6 ft 6 in
(1.98 m)		252 lb
(114 kg)		32+5⁄8 in
(0.83 m)		9+3⁄8 in
(0.24 m)		6 ft 6+3⁄4 in
(2.00 m)		4.99 s1.65 s2.81 s4.77 s7.32 s29.5 in
(0.75 m)		9 ft 1 in
(2.77 m)
All values from Pro day

Tennessee Titans

After going unselected in the 2025 NFL draft, Evans signed with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent. On August 25, he was waived by the team.

Saskatchewan Roughriders

On January 19, 2026, Evans was signed by the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). After he was released by the Titans, he spent three months in a sales job. The Roughriders called Evans roughly 20 times to get him to come to Saskatchewan for a tryout which he eventually did. He was named a week one starter and had one tackle, sack and pass deflection in his CFL debut against the BC Lions. On September 5, Evans was moved to the practice roster. On October 23, he was elevated to the active roster.

References

  1. 1 2 "Desmond EVANS, DL". stats.cfl.ca. Archived from the original on October 31, 2026. Retrieved October 31, 2026.
  2. 1 2 "Desmond Evans Stats,Transactions, Draft, College". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved October 31, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Desmond Evans - Football". University of North Carolina Athletics. Retrieved October 31, 2026.
  4. 1 2 Giermak, Andrew (December 25, 2019). "Jacket teammates, future Tar Heel teammates, all-state teannates". The Sanford Herald. pp. B1. Retrieved October 31, 2026.
  5. 1 2 "Des Evans, North Carolina Tar Heels, Edge". 247Sports. Archived from the original on November 13, 2024. Retrieved October 31, 2026.
  6. ↑ Alexander, Jonathan M. (December 30, 2019). "Tar Heels to return a lot of key pieces for next season". The Herald-Sun. pp. B3. Retrieved October 31, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Evans, Burdeau represent Lee County in Under Armour All-America Game". The Sanford Herald. January 5, 2020. pp. B1. Retrieved October 31, 2026.
  8. ↑ Giermak, Andrew (October 9, 2020). "On Campus: Evans earns first action as Tar Heel". The Sanford Herald. pp. A5. Retrieved October 31, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Desmond Evans College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved October 31, 2026.
  10. ↑ "Desmond Evans College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved October 31, 2026.
  11. ↑ Wyatt, Jim (May 8, 2025). "Titans Sign 16 Undrafted Free Agents". Tennesseetitans.com. Archived from the original on February 13, 2026. Retrieved October 31, 2026.
  12. ↑ Robinson, Sam (August 25, 2025). "Titans Cut 16 Players". Pro Football Rumors. Archived from the original on February 1, 2026. Retrieved October 31, 2026.
  13. ↑ "Saskatchewan Roughriders sign North Carolina product Desmond Evans". 3DownNation. January 19, 2026. Archived from the original on January 19, 2026. Retrieved October 31, 2026.
  14. ↑ Gray, Britton. "Saskatchewan Roughriders: Why defensive end Desmond Evans finally signed". CKOM. Archived from the original on May 27, 2026. Retrieved October 31, 2026.
  15. ↑ Maess, Donovan (May 27, 2026). "Desmond Evans turning heads at Riders training camp as team looks to fill holes on d-line". CTVNews. Archived from the original on May 28, 2026. Retrieved October 31, 2026.
  16. ↑ Thomas, Dave (June 12, 2026). "Corey Mace sees big upside as Desmond Evans earns Week 1 start for Saskatchewan Roughriders vs. B.C." SportsCage.com. Archived from the original on October 31, 2026. Retrieved October 31, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Saskatchewan Roughriders down two linebackers for Labour Day Classic". 3DownNation. September 5, 2026. Archived from the original on October 31, 2026. Retrieved October 31, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Saskatchewan Roughriders rest six key starters for finale". 3DownNation. October 23, 2026. Archived from the original on October 31, 2026. Retrieved October 31, 2026.