TCU star running back Zach Evans has requested to enter the NCAA transfer portal, sources confirmed Monday.

Evans has not been officially placed in the portal yet, a source said, but will be within the next 24 hours. Players who enter the portal are expected to depart, although there is a possibility for them to return to their current school.

TCU officials haven’t given up hope that Evans returns to the school for his junior season.

“I think we have a legit shot at keeping him,” a TCU source said. “We’ll see.”

Evans is the first player to enter the portal since TCU’s season ended with a 48-14 loss to Iowa State on Friday. More players will likely follow as the Frogs are in the midst of a coaching change from Gary Patterson to Sonny Dykes.

A source said Evans is the only player to request entry into the portal as of Monday morning but plenty of conversations will be had in the coming days.

Evans joined TCU as the highest-ranked recruit in program history before the 2020 season. He is coming off a sophomore season in which he rushed for a team-leading 648 yards and five touchdowns in six games. Evans didn’t play in the final five games with a turf toe injury sustained in the Oct. 9 game at Texas Tech.

Evans, who will be going into his junior season in 2022, could have as many as three years of eligibility left with the NCAA freezing eligibility during the 2020 season due to the pandemic. But most expect Evans to bolt for the NFL after next season.

Evans, who is listed at 5-foot-11, 212 pounds, rushed for 415 yards and four TDs as a true freshman in 2020.

Evans joined TCU as a five-star prospect out of Houston North Shore. He was once considered the top overall player in the 2020 class but ended up as the No. 16 overall player and No. 2 running back in the 2020 class, according to 247Sports.

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