TAMPA, Fla. — Zyon McCollum wasn’t fishing for compliments, but consider Mike Evans hooked anyway.

Both went to Ball High School in Galveston, Texas, although Evans is older by six years. Even so, Evans counts the 26-year-old McCollum among the best cornerbacks in the NFL.

Certainly, the Bucs concur after agreeing to a three-year, $48 million extension with McCollum Friday that includes $35.4 million in guaranteed money.

“Oh yeah, that is my guy. Galveston, Texas,” Evans said. “We are sharpening each other’s games. It is crazy seeing him and his brother (Tristin) when they were young, and now I am competing against him and just being his teammate for four seasons now. He has come a long way. He is one of the best corners in the game, and it is a battle every time we go against each other.”

The deal locks up McCollum with the Bucs through the 2028 season instead of allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent in March.

McCollum, a fifth-round pick out of Sam Houston State, is the second player from the 2022 draft class to sign an extension with the Bucs this week. Right tackle Luke Goedeke, a second-round pick, signed a four-year, $90 million extension Tuesday.

“Elite character and elite upside,” general manager Jason Licht said of McCollum in a text message to the Tampa Bay Times.

Head coach Todd Bowles was prescient when asked recently what McCollum needed to do to attract a long-term deal.

“He just needs to play,’’ Bowles said. “We’re trying to win games. The money comes with it, and that’s part of it. I don’t get into people’s contracts and money or what they need to do to get paid. If you play well and you have great seasons, you get paid.

“You know, you can’t pay everybody if you’ve got 10 or 15 people up at the same time. Zyon is one of our key players. He’s very important to us, and he does a heck of a job day in and day out. He just needs to keep working. He’ll be OK.”

Locking up McCollum also guaranteed some continuity for the Bucs secondary. Cornerback Jamel Dean is signed through the 2026 season, and the Bucs took two cornerbacks in this year’s draft: Benjamin Morrison, a second-round pick from Notre Dame; and Jacob Parrish, a third-round selection from Kansas State.

With Christian Izien ruled out of Sunday’s opener at Atlanta with an oblique injury, Parrish is expected to start at nickel cornerback. But McCollum is capable of playing inside as well, providing Bowles with a couple of chess pieces.

“I love it,” McCollum said. “It allows me to up my versatility in terms of playing a lot of these bigger receivers and when they move their best players into the slot. You know, Atlanta, they like to move ‘5’ (Drake London) around a lot. Anytime I’m able to get better playing in the slot, right side, left side, it just allows the versatility in me to match up a lot better.”

McCollum’s twin brother, Tristin, won a Super Bowl ring as a safety with the Eagles last season. He was released a couple of weeks ago and claimed off waivers by the Raiders.

McCollum said the competition in the defensive backs room made him better this offseason.

“This is probably the most competitive room that I’ve been in since I’ve been here. Adding two guys like (Morrison and Parrish), who come in and play with that fire right off, it lights a fire in everybody. That entire room — speaking for everybody, I know I can confidently say that we all come out here knowing that we have to be at the top of our game in order to stick around.”

The Bucs still have Haason Reddick, Cade Otton, Logan Hall, Rachaad White and others playing under contracts that will expire after this season.

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