Once upon a time, many (including myself) worried about the recruiting ramifications of Tom Herman electing to not retain Jeff Traylor on staff. I specifically worried about Texas potentially taking a step back in East Texas, a region of the state Traylor had been dominating on the recruiting trail during his time in Austin.
Well folks, while Traylor may be a heck of a recruiter, I think we can officially stop worrying about having some drop off when it comes to recruiting the piney woods of East Texas. Yesterday the state’s top running back in Keaontay Ingram made the call to be a Longhorn. Today one of the state’s and nation’s top defenders in Arp’s DeMarvion Overshown made the call to be a Longhorn.
Texas arrived at the party very early on Overshown and it’s an effort that did not go overlooked as blue bloods from far and wide rained scholarships down on the Arp safety not too long after. Overshown was one of the most sought after prospects this spring as schools like Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, Ohio State, and Stanford all extended offers before he shut it down to stay home and play in Austin.
Film Analysis
This is a big dude that can run and he absolutely tries to erase ball carriers whenever the opportunity arises. I haven’t seen a bigger hitter on tape this cycle, and Overshown is the type of guy that is going to try to put you in a chalk line in the most legal way possible. As a two way player, Overshown shows off his ball skills as he shows the ability to high point the football and shows off his length that will more than likely frustrate receivers when he is in coverage.
Overshown is already listed at 6’4, 200ish pounds, so he is pretty big for the safety position, which will bring into question whether he can stick at the position long term. If he does happen to outgrow the position, he could potentially be a nice chess piece in the Big 12 as an outside linebacker. Whichever way his body goes, Texas is getting a football player that is going to make guys look over their shoulder when they go over the middle in the future.
Final Verdict
Yesterday I mentioned in Ingram’s profile that things were about to get rolling for Tom Herman and his staff on the recruiting trail, but even I didn’t think things were going to get going so soon. Many have been wondering when the in-state dominos would start falling and it looks like we are starting to see them tumble one by one with Ingram and Overshown hopping in the boat.
With Overshown pledging to the Longhorns, secondary coaches Jason Washington and Craig Naivar are absolutely stockpiling elite talent on the back end of Todd Orlando’s defense and that are not anywhere close to being done. Overshown and Caden Sterns give the Texas defensive staff two versatile pieces to work with and they are sitting in an enviable position for five star safety BJ Foster. All of those players are absolute no brainers across recruiting services and are some of the most sought after players in the country at their positions.
If Texas continues to recruit at this level and finds success on the field this fall, then you can go ahead and put it in ink that they will have a Top 5, or even a Top 3 class come National Signing Day.