IRVINGTON, NJ — Irvington has started a pipeline to Nebraska.
Eleven days after leading the Irvington High School football team to a state regional championship this season, senior two-way lineman Justin Evans-Jenkins became the second IHS football player in as many years to commit to the University of Nebraska in accepting a full athletic scholarship.
A ceremony was held Wednesday morning, Dec. 15, in the IHS gymnasium, packed with IHS students and a performance from the IHS band, as Evans-Jenkins made his announcement.
Evans-Jenkins, listed at 6-foot-2, 270 pounds by 247sports.com, will join his former IHS teammate, Mikai Gbayor, a defensive end who committed to Nebraska last year. Gbayor completed his freshman season at Nebraska this fall.
Evans-Jenkins said Gbayor had a big influence in his decision to pick Nebraska, not to mention that he felt enamored with everything about the university.
“With Mikai being here, it had a lot to do with my decision,” Evans-Jenkins said. “We played together for three years, so we already had that bond. When I went out to Nebraska, they showed me nothing but love. It was a family atmosphere and that was very important to me.”
Evans-Jenkins, who is also a standout wrestler at IHS, said he is going to play on the offensive line at Nebraska. He will graduate from IHS in a few weeks and will enroll early at Nebraska next month.
“I’m ecstatic,” Evans-Jenkins said. “I’m ready to go and work.”
In a press release to The Irvington Herald, Nebraska head coach Scott Frost commented on Evans-Jenkins..
“Justin Evans-Jenkins is a kid that we have had our eye on for a long time,” Frost said. “His whole recruitment kind of happened late. He is a kid that wrestles in high school and has the right demeanor. I love how aggressive he plays, and really believe in his potential. We kind of were selective with our spots and being really careful with our spots and did not want to give them away to anybody that we didn’t think was somebody we felt really good about being able to come in and make a difference for us. We brought Justin in on the last visit possible and after he was here, everybody liked him even more. We really wanted him to get around our new offensive line coach Coach (Donovan) Raiola and they hit it off and Donovan really believes in him. We were really excited to get that addition late.”
The Blue Knights, under head coach Ashley “Smoke” Pierre, enjoyed their best season in the 102-year history of the program, winning a state sectional championship for the first time ever and then capturing the North, Group 4, regional championship with a 19-14 victory over Northern Highlands on Dec. 4 at Rutgers University’s SHI Stadium to cap an 11-2 season.
“The season was my main goal,” Evans-Jenkins said. “I had to focus on the state championship. We got that and once that was over, it was time to figure out where I want to go and Nebraska was home (to me).”
Evans-Jenkins’ uncle is Josh Evans, the 2009 IHS graduate and All-State safety who went on to play at the University of Florida and played in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars – the team that drafted him – and later Washington.
Evans-Jenkins also was grateful for the tremendous support from his family, friends and community. He was especially grateful for the turnout at the ceremony.
“I was really shocked. For everyone to come together and appreciate me, was really good and I appreciate the town, the school, fans, my family,” he said. “I appreciate everybody.”
Evans-Jenkins’ mother, Seanette Evans, and grandfather, James Evans – Josh’s father – joined Evans-Jenkins at the ceremony.
“I am just grateful that he chose to go to Nebraska,” said James Evans in an interview with The Irvington Herald. “He loved the campus. We are grateful that Nebraska offered him a scholarship that he would accept.”
James Evans said his other son, Mike Evans, also played for Irvington and later played on scholarship at the University of Buffalo where he was a freshman All-American.
Seanette Evans also was very proud of her son.
“I’m very, very proud of Justin,” she said to The Irvington Herald. “It’s been a long four years, and I knew he was going to go somewhere, whether it was based on his academics or his athletic ability. But I am super proud of him.”
Will she miss her son while he’s away in college?
“Of course,” she said with a laugh. “Justin has helped me out so much. He has two younger siblings at home, so he helps a lot at home. He is just a great son, but I am going to miss him a lot.”
Make no mistake, she will get to go to as many Nebraska games as she can.
“I will travel as much as I can, but we have Facetime and Zoom, so I will see him, but I’m going to miss him a lot.”
Pierre noted that Evans-Jenkins is just one of many IHS seniors on the team who will be playing in college. Pierre said another ceremony to honor about seven or eight seniors announcing their college decisions will be held in February.
To Pierre, seeing his players announce their college decisions feels just as special as winning the state championship.
“The guys have been working hard for the last three or four years, so to reap the award of it, it’s amazing,” Pierre said.
Pierre said Nebraska is open to Evans-Jenkins playing on defense. Pierre has no doubts that Evans-Jenkins will flourish at whatever position he plays.
“They just know they got a great football player coming to the Midwest,” Pierre said of Nebraska. “Whatever position it is, he is going to be a playmaker.”
Photos and video by Joe Ragozzino
Irvington HS football standout Justin Evans-Jenkins picks Nebraska added by Joe Ragozzino on
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