Oklahoma 5-Star DL Prospect Lebbeus Overton Delivers What Looks Like Bad News for Sooners

The nation's top defensive tackle prospect had an official visit scheduled to OU on April 23, but he reportedly said Wednesday that he'll announce his choice this Friday.

Oklahoma may have to wait a little longer to land its first 5-star defensive tackle in more than a decade.

Lebbeus Overton, arguably the nation’s top defensive line prospect in the class of 2022 — he was consensus No. 1 in the class of 2023 before he reclassified to this year — told On3 Wednesday that he’ll make his announcement this Friday.

Overton reportedly will make his announcement at 2 p.m. on ESPN2 during halftime of the Geico National High School Basketball Tournament.

That’s most likely bad news for the Sooners, as Overton had an official visit scheduled for April 23 — the date of the Red/White Game and, in recent history, OU’s biggest recruiting day of the year.

Overton, a 6-foot-5, 265-pound prospect from Alpharetta, GA, took an official visit to Texas A&M last weekend. He previously took official visits to Georgia on March 18, and to Oregon on March 11.

Overton previously visited OU unofficially last September. New head coach Brent Venables and defensive line coach Todd Bates no doubt were hopeful of getting Overton on campus next month, but that seems to be off the table now.

It’s been widely assumed that Overton was leaning toward Texas A&M. In February, Overton dropped his top five, which included the Aggies and Sooners as well as Oregon, Georgia and Ohio State. On3’s Chad Simmons predicted that Overton’s recruitment would come down to A&M, Oregon and Georgia.

Overton’s dad, Milton, is a former Sooner who now is athletic director at Kennesaw State in Georgia. His older Brother, Micaiah, is a former player at Liberty who entered the transfer portal this year, reportedly intending to play with Lebbeus.

The Sooners haven’t signed a 5-star defensive lineman since landing Jamarkus McFarland out of Lufkin, TX, in the 2009 class.

Overton was previously the No. 1 overall 2023 prospect, according to 247 Sports, and he’s No. 17 overall in 2022.

If he picks A&M, he’ll join an Aggie class that already rates as the highest-ranked recruiting class in the recent era of online recruiting rankings.