A federal judge has given NC State a temporary win in the KaTron Evans situation, ruling Monday that the Marshall transfer can take part in team activities through Aug. 24.
That matters, because the Wolfpack open the season against Virginia on Aug. 29.
Unless the order is extended, Evans still won’t be eligible to play in that game. For now, though, he can fully participate with the team for the next two weeks.
The timing leaves NC State in a strange spot. Evans had already been expected to bring experience and leadership to a defensive line that could use both, but the NCAA denied his hardship waiver on July 24 and the school removed him from the roster soon after. If he can’t stay with the program past Aug. 24, these next two weeks could end up being all activity and no payoff.
Evans is seeking a sixth year of eligibility after two seasons at Jackson State from 2021-22, two more at Charlotte from 2023-24, and last season at Marshall, where he played under former NC State defensive coordinator Tony Gibson. Across his career, he’s appeared in 32 games.
He first joined NC State in January and was fully involved in spring football and offseason workouts. Then the NCAA’s denial forced him to stay away while the rest of the team reported to camp. That was another blow for Evans, who has been trying to find his way to the Wolfpack after a difficult stretch in his personal life in 2023.
According to The News & Observer, Evans’ waiver application included two deaths in his family and his mother being evicted from her home while he was at Charlotte. NC State was supposed to be a fresh start.
Head coach Dave Doeren backed Evans in a written letter to the court, offering a straightforward and heartfelt case for why he should be allowed to stay with the program. Doeren pointed to the work Evans put in after slipping academically during that hard period, saying he got himself back on track and graduated.
The letter only adds to the sense that Evans is someone people can root for. He’s expected to be a major contributor this season, but the NCAA’s waiver process remains hard to read. For now, the only certainty is that Evans has been cleared for 14 days - and there’s still a chance that order gets extended.
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