5-Star Recruit Lebbeus Overton Will Reclassify to 2022; Texas A&M, Ohio St. Finalists

Wednesday was national signing day for the 2022 recruiting class, but some of the nation's top programs may not be done pursuing this year's top talent.

That is because defensive lineman Lebbeus Overton elected to reclassify from the 2023 class to the 2022 one by skipping his senior year of high school, per The Athletic. The Georgia native named Texas A&M, Ohio State, Georgia, Oregon and Oklahoma as his five finalists.

According to 247Sports' composite rankings, Overton is a 5-star prospect and was the No. 3 overall player and No. 1 defensive lineman in the 2023 class prior to this decision.

As The Athletic noted, Overton is not the only game-changing defensive prospect who elected to reclassify to 2022.

Safety Sonny Styles, a 5-star prospect in 247Sports' composite rankings, did the same and chose Ohio State. Perhaps Overton will join him on the Buckeyes defense considering it's one of his finalists, but the Big Ten powerhouse will have plenty of competition.

Oklahoma could be in ideal position seeing how the one Crystal Ball prediction on 247Sports projected him to choose the Sooners.

Then there is the SEC angle.

Georgia just won the national championship behind a dominant defense and has the advantage of being the powerhouse program in Overton's home state. Elsewhere in the conference, no team has more recruiting momentum than Texas A&M.

In fact, the Aggies landed the No. 1 overall class on 247Sports and broke the website's record for the top-rated class for the rankings system that dates back to 2010.

Overton offers first-round potential and brings the coveted size (6'4½" and 265 pounds) and athleticism that the top programs are always looking for up front.

The two-sport athlete, who also played basketball did in high school, posted a head-turning 19 sacks as a freshman and 21.5 sacks as a sophomore while displaying the ability to stuff the run and get after quarterbacks.

While Overton will be entering college a year sooner than expected, his talent should help him play his way into the defensive line rotation for whichever school he chooses.