Texas A&M signed its first No. 1 class in the ESPN 300 era, and on the final day of the second signing period for the 2022 cycle, the Aggies further strengthened that top ranking by adding a fifth five-star prospect.
Defensive line anchors the Aggies’ class, and they added more firepower to that unit by beating out Oregon and Georgia for the commitment of top-ranked defensive end Lebbeus ‘LT’ Overton.
“After my first unofficial visit there I had a good feel of things, and that is where I met (defensive analyst) Nick (Williams), and he introduced me to the program,” Overton told ESPN.
When Jimbo Fisher and staff closed out February’s national signing day, Overton wasn’t considered a piece of the puzzle, but Overton, then the top-ranked player in the 2023 class, announced the next day he would reclassify to 2022.
Overton now gives A&M’s class the top four defensive linemen prospects in the nation, as he joins the Nos. 1 and 2-ranked defensive tackles in Walter Nolen and Gabe Brownlow-Dindy, as well as No. 2 defensive end Shemar Stewart. Each player brings something different to the mix and should be able to push each other in practice and create one-on-one matchups in games for a group of players often used to getting double-teamed during their high school careers.
In Overton, the Aggies get a player in the mold of former five-star and Ohio State standout Nick Bosa. Neither on paper have eye-popping measurables — Overton is 6-foot-3, 265 pounds — but both are explosive defenders that can win with quickness and power, and accentuate their physical talents with toughness and effort in their play.
Despite reclassifying forward a year, Overton can be a quick contributor, and while projected to weakside defensive end, he is also big and strong enough to be able to slide inside at times and generate mismatches.
While all four of those defensive linemen share a five-star rating, they also all come to Texas A&M from the Southeast, though Overton has family ties to the school. When he first unofficially visited Texas A&M last June, it was his first time back to College Station since he was 5 years old. He was born there and his mother, Eunice Thomas, earned a Master’s degree there.
“It’s almost like he is coming home,” Thomas told ESPN.
Overton said Williams, a Georgia native who arrived at A&M from Georgia’s program shortly before Overton’s unofficial visit, played a big part in his recruitment. Their paths did not cross while Williams was with the Bulldogs, but they quickly connected once meeting at A&M.
Overton returned to College Station in the fall to watch the Aggies upset then-No. 1 Alabama, and he said he knew they were the one after that visit.
“That’s what he feeds off: working hard to achieve something,” Thomas told ESPN. “That’s what he likes. … They gave it their all and showed that no matter who you play, it’s always possible to win a game, and he liked that.”
