Akayleb Evans

Akayleb Evans (born June 22, 1999) is an American professional football cornerback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tulsa Golden Hurricane before transferring to the Missouri Tigers.

Akayleb Evans

No. 29 – Carolina Panthers
Position:	Cornerback
Personal information
Born:	(1999-06-22) June 22, 1999 (age 26) Long Island, New York, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:	198 lb (90 kg)
Career information
High school:	McKinney (McKinney, Texas)
College:	Tulsa (2017–2020) Missouri (2021)
NFL draft:	2022: 4th round, 118th pick
Career history
Minnesota Vikings (2022–2024) Carolina Panthers (2024–present)
Roster status:	Active
Career NFL statistics as of 2024
Total tackles: 93 Forced fumbles: 4 Pass deflections: 10 Interceptions: 1 Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life

Evans grew up in McKinney, Texas and attended McKinney High School.^[1] As a senior, he recorded 48 tackles, five pass breakups, and one fumble recovery and was named second-team all-District 10-6A.^[2] Evans initially committed to play college football at Kansas, but later flipped his commitment to Tulsa.^[3]

College career

Evans began his collegiate career with the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. As a freshman, he played in nine games with five starts and had 26 tackles and two passes broken up.^[4] Evans suffered a shoulder injury in the third game of his junior season and used a medical redshirt.^[5] He played in all nine of Tulsa's games during their COVID-19-shortened 2020 season and finished the year with 30 tackles (27 solo tackles), one sack, three passes broken up, and one forced fumble.^[6] After his redshirt junior season, Evans entered the transfer portal.^[7]

Evans transferred to Missouri as a graduate transfer.^[8] He had considered offers from Notre Dame, Texas, Texas Tech, and Jackson State.^[9] In his lone season with the Tigers, Evans was a starter at cornerback and finished the season with 28 tackles, two forced fumbles, six passes broken up, and one interception.^[10] After the conclusion of his college career, Evans played in the 2022 Senior Bowl.^[11]

College statistics

Year	Team	Games		Tackles				Interceptions				Fumbles
		GP	GS	Total	Solo	Ast	Sack	PD	Int	Yds	TD	FF	FR	TD
2017	Tulsa	9	6	26	20	6	0.0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0
2018	Tulsa	9	5	21	13	8	0.0	4	0	0	0	0	0	0
2019	Tulsa	3	3	6	2	4	0.0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0
2020	Tulsa	9	9	29	24	5	1.0	3	0	0	0	1	0	0
2021	Missouri	11	8	30	27	3	0.0	6	1	0	0	2	0	0
Career		41	31	112	86	26	1.0	17	1	0	0	3	0	0

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables

Height	Weight	Arm length	Hand span	40-yard dash	10-yard split	20-yard split	20-yard shuttle	Three-cone drill	Vertical jump	Broad jump	Bench press
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	197 lb (89 kg)	32 in (0.81 m)	8+3⁄4 in (0.22 m)	4.46 s	1.53 s	2.59 s	4.09 s	7.07 s	36.0 in (0.91 m)	10 ft 9 in (3.28 m)	17 reps
Sources:[12][13]

Minnesota Vikings

Evans was selected by the Minnesota Vikings with the 118th pick of the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft.^[14] Evans entered his rookie season as the fourth cornerback on the depth chart behind Patrick Peterson, Cameron Dantzler, and Chandon Sullivan. He was placed on injured reserve on December 7, 2022.^[15]

On November 23, 2024, Evans was waived by the Vikings.^[16]

Carolina Panthers

On November 25, 2024, Evans was claimed off waivers by the Carolina Panthers.^[17]

NFL career statistics

Year	Team	Games		Tackles					Interceptions						Fumbles
		GP	GS	Total	Solo	Ast	Sck	Sfty	PD	Int	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	FF	FR	TD
2022	MIN	10	2	23	19	4	0.0	0	2	0	0	0.0	0	0	1	0	0
2023	MIN	15	15	65	49	16	0.0	0	7	1	1	1.0	1	0	3	0	0
2024	MIN	2	0	1	0	1	0.0	0	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
Career		27	17	89	68	21	0.0	0	9	1	1	1.0	1	0	4	0	0