Sports

Stepinac bruising back Gilligan-Evans commits to Yale

Elite academics? Check.

Offense suited to his strengths? Check.

An opportunity to play immediately? Check.

Coaching staff he felt comfortable with? Check.

Yale had everything Caleb Gilligan-Evans wanted in a program. So the Archbishop Stepinac fullback didn’t waste any time, verbally committing to the Ivy League school and coach Tom Williams recently after taking an official visit to the sprawling New Haven, Conn., campus.

“It was the school I would be able to excel at for the next four years,” said Gilligan-Evans, who chose Yale over Bryant, Penn and Columbia. “I felt it was a place I could fit in and not some place I would have to adjust to.”

He added: “It was the attitude of everyone I met, all the players were very positive about their experience playing football. All the coaches are passionate; they want players to have fun. I had a great time on my visit. The people there made me feel very comfortable.”

A Yonkers native, Gilligan-Evans will likely play fullback and H-back at Yale, which is coming off of a 5-5 season.

The 6-foot, 250-pound senior had a huge year for the Crusaders, helping them reach their first-ever CHSFL Class AAA final. He rushed for over 1,000 yards as a sophomore and junior and produced 944 yards and nine touchdowns this fall.

Gilligan-Evans, who won the Monsignor Matthew Peters Award as the league’s top student-athlete, has always dreamed of playing college football, since the day he began playing organized two-hand touch at the age of 4.

“It’s something I thought about growing up,” he said. “It’s awesome. I’m very thankful for the opportunity. It’s exciting to have more football in front of me, to have a great education in front me. I can’t wait to start it.”

zbraziller@nypost.com