Palmer Ridge quarterback Ty Evans verbally committed to Colorado on Monday. The junior is one of the nation’s top-rated players at his position in the Class of 2019.

The decision, Evans said, is fueled by his desire to contribute to “the rise” of a program he’s loved since childhood.

“I remember as a little kid going to CU camps, and one specific time, we were walking out of Folsom after playing a game of ultimate football there and I looked at my dad and said, ‘This is where I want to play,’ ” Evans said. “I was maybe seven or eight years old, but that was a memory from little Ty telling me that this is the right move.”

Evans, 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, threw for 3,627 yards and 42 touchdowns this past fall while leading Palmer Ridge to an undefeated season and the Class 3A state championship, the first in program history. His performance led to multiple honors — including being named state’s Gatorade Player of the Year as well as selection to The Denver Post All-Colorado team.

“Winning that state championship was the happiest day of my life,” Evans said. “Getting the personal accolades is awesome — but that title meant so much more than all my accolades combined, because Palmer Ridge and Monument as a city as a whole, they deserved that trophy.”

Originally pledged to Arkansas, Evans reopened his recruitment in November, two days after the Razorbacks fired coach Bret Bielema.

That move, coupled with the Buffaloes’ hiring of Kurt Roper as their new quarterbacks coach Jan. 3 — the same guy who offered Evans a scholarship while working on the South Carolina staff last fall — led the 17-year-old to believe Boulder is the best place for him. Related Articles Colorado high school fall football: Jeffco, Cherry Creek among majority of school districts opting into season

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“Everybody says don’t commit to a school because of the coaching staff, but realistically, the staff is a big part of making that decision,” Evans said. “Also, a quarterback hasn’t been drafted (out of) CU (since 1997). I do think that could change with Steven Montez because he’s a great quarterback, but I also want to be part of the rise of Colorado football in that way.”

The junior noted his ability to get noticed by an array of Power 5 programs — in addition to Arkansas and South Carolina, he also had offers from Colorado State, North Carolina State, Northwestern and Kansas State — was due to the combination of the Bears’ ascension to the top of their classification last fall as well as the out-of-school training he put in with Jenkins Elite.

“I came into the Jenkins Elite program with a bunch of raw talent — I could really throw the ball, because I’d always been able to — but it took me from being a good quarterback to an elite quarterback by working on my footwork, my mindset, everything,” Evans said.

He plans to graduate from Palmer Ridge a semester early so he can send in his National Letter of Intent to the Buffaloes during the December early signing period next fall, which will allow him to go through spring football with CU in 2019.