Darren Evans grew up idolizing LSU stars Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu.

Now, the Baton Rouge native will be following in their 'DBU' footsteps.

The Nicholls State cornerback quietly committed to the hometown Tigers on Friday, Aug. 28, following a whirlwind Thursday in the transfer portal.

Evans has now enrolled at the university and, after waiting a week for the clearance of his transfer waiver, is expected to begin participating in practice this week.

"It's amazing because I wasn't recruited this hard coming out of high school," he explains. "Everyone told me I should leave Glen Oaks. But it was my home. And now I realize how big of a decision that was, but God always had a plan for me."

Evans only garnered attention from a few college at the end of his career at Glen Oaks Senior High, on the northeast side of Baton Rouge.

The 6-foot-2, 150-pound athlete played all over the field, in all three phases, for a short-handed Panthers squad fighting an uphill battle weekly in a district that included perennial powers University Lab and Parkview Baptist and an ascending West Feliciana.

But, even before the spotlight came, Evans was showing flashes of major potential to the community.

"He has been a diamond in the rough for years," said high school teammate Stadford Anderson, now a senior running back at Northwestern State. "He is a pure athlete. He's long, rangy with speed that can cover the whole field. And he's an even better person off the field — honest with himself, honest to others, humble and hard-working.

"Everyone in Glen Oaks knew D was the one who would grow into something special. He was great in high school, and it was obvious he was nowhere near his peak. He got to Nicholls, redshirted, put on some weight and has been flourishing ever since."

Evans headed to Thibodaux with other Baton Rouge area standouts such as U-High linebacker Laryon James and Zachary tight end Cameron Carrier.

He redshirted, hit the weight room with determination — "Yeah, I was small," he laughs — and began seeing dividends and making strides.

Evans quickly began scratching his way into the Colonels' lineup as a redshirt freshman in 2017, eventually starting the final five games of the season and never looking back.

Now 6-foot-3, 180-pounds, with a 4.37-second 40-yard dash, the rising senior has started the program's past 32 contests, including all-conference honors in 2018.

"He's a guy that when I stepped on campus and looked at him, I immediately thought he was going to the (National Football) League," said quarterback Lindsey Scott Jr., a one-time LSU signee who transferred to Nicholls State last September. "He's got a lot of range and has those long arms. He reminds me a lot of (Louisiana native and Minnesota Viking rookie) Cameron Dantzler. He was the guy that locked up the opposing team's best wide receiver every week."

Evans had looked forward to playing his senior season in Thibodaux with Scott and company until the Southland Conference's decision Aug. 13 to delay its fall sports until at least the spring.

"I was very emotional," he admits, "because I didn't know exactly what was going to happen. I didn't know if we were going to play in the spring or if we will have a season this year at all. The uncertainty really drove me into thinking about the portal.

"I know that I am good enough to play on the next level, so it was just a lot of long talks with my family to finally decide to enter."

An Oct. 3 trip to Tiger Stadium was eagerly anticipated among the highlights of his senior season at Nicholls State.

Now, in addition to playing on the same field where Peterson and Mathieu earned a slew of All-America honors in 2009, 2010 and 2011, Evans will don the same purple and gold uniform.

"It's gonna be different," he says. "A feeling you can't explain."

Evans officially entered the NCAA transfer portal Thursday morning.

And, almost immediately, Hawaii started a string of contacts that quickly included LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Louisiana Tech and Memphis.

"Maybe two minutes after — I was kinda amazed on how fast, but I knew that they were coming," he laughs. "I've never used my phone this much. I've charged it like four times."

His heart was always home.

"My favorite," Evans says of LSU. "That's the only college team I truly grew up watching."

And the proximity to his family, including his 10-month-old son Dion, and opportunity for them to watch him play provided an unparalleled bonus.

But they wanted to make sure to make the best business decision for his immediate and long-term future, too.

"My family is very excited, but being more of a coach than anything," he laughs again. "They're just making sure I make the right decision Just making sure where I wanna be and if I will play."

Everything cornerbacks coach and recruiting coordinator Corey Raymond told him Thursday helped check those boxes.

"We mostly spoke on the whole situation that's going on and how I could fit in," Evans says. "I can't go into much detail — just that I will play."

An NCAA ruling last week to grant all athletes an additional year of eligibility and an additional year in which to complete their eligibility would allow Evans the opportunity to potentially play this and next year.

But LSU hopes to see him make an immediate impact.

Coach Ed Orgeron referenced Tuesday that the Tigers were researching their options to potentially add a transfer cornerback with a remaining unused scholarship in the 2020 recruiting class.

Sophomores Derek Stingley Jr. and Cordale Flott provide nearly all of the experience for a young group at the position needing depth.

"If there is a cornerback or maybe a nickel corner out there that's available, we may take him," the coach said. "And we could use him right now because we're a little short."

The SEC, ACC, Big-12, AAC, Conference USA and Sun Belt continue navigating the circumstances toward fall competition — with some teams scheduled to play as early as Sept. 5.

LSU's opener to an adjusted 10-game, all-conference slate is set for Sept. 26 against Mississippi State.

"I would just tell him to be confident in the work he's put in," Scott said. "I watched this guy grind all summer to get to the place he wants to be. He's getting this opportunity because he's one of the best at what he does. Believe in that fact and in yourself, and ball every week."

That advice echos the mindset that fueled Evans' unconventional path to realize his childhood dream and turned the under-the-radar late bloomer into highly sought-after SEC commodity.

Evans becomes the Tigers' first signee from Glen Oaks since quarterback Marcus Randall in 2000 and linebacker Gabe Northern in 1992.

Both former Panthers ultimately reached the NFL.

Evans has similar goals in mind.

But, mainly, he's grateful to be following in so many of his childhood heroes' footsteps to a destination closer to home that he'd eyed since elementary school.

"So much sweeter," Evans says. "I feel more blessed than ever to come home and put on for my city."