Virginia 2025 running back Jeffery Overton Jr. couldn’t stop smiling after receiving his offer from Ohio State on Monday.
“It felt great, definitely humbling getting a big school like that to offer you, it showcases your skills and ability to play the game,” Overton told Eleven Warriors after receiving his offer.
After a great conversation with @CoachTonyAlford Im blessed and honored to receive an offer from @OhioStateFB !!@CoachOvertonJ @OvertonDarryl @BrianDohn247 @RivalsFriedman @MohrRecruiting pic.twitter.com/cPLwPjikz2
— Jeffrey Overton Jr (@JeffreyOverton1) December 11, 2023
Ohio State running backs coach Tony Alford offered Overton personally on a phone call with the Virginia product. The pair had communicated several times throughout the fall, but Alford liked what he saw from his tape and from the relationship the pair had built thus far.
“He said I was a good football player and I can make an impact on the school and that I’m a priority,” Overton said.
Per 247Sports' composite rankings, Overton is considered the 619th-rated prospect and the 52nd-ranked running back in the 2025 class. He's earned 12 Division I offers thus far, including Boston College, Duke, Maryland, NC State, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Wake Forest.
The 5-foot-11, 187-pound Overton helped lead Freedom High School (Woodbridge, Virginia) to an undefeated 14-0 season after he ran for 2,329 yards with 44 touchdowns this season.
“I would say I’m elusive,” Overton said describing his on-field game. “I can run outside and outrun people, but also I’m physical, I could run you over or stiff-arm you. There’s not just one person that can tackle me.”
Overton said he hopes to attend one of OSU’s practices later this spring for his first visit to Columbus. He said he plans on releasing a top 10 school list sometime in the near future, but after getting his OSU offer, he definitely views the Buckeyes as a “top five” school in his recruitment.
“Definitely just being a part of a legacy,” Overton said about the most appealing thing about potentially playing for the Buckeyes. “Ohio State is a great school. My uncle likes them and brags about them all the time. It’s definitely about continuing the legacy there and building something great. Just seeing the running backs and the way they use the running backs in the games, I love the offensive scheme there.”
The Virginia product said he envisions making a commitment sometime this summer, likely after he takes his official visits.
2026 TE Xavier Tiller picks up Ohio State offer
Ohio State has offered its first tight end in the 2026 class. OSU tight ends coach Keenan Bailey offered Georgia prospect Xavier Tiller on Wednesday, who attends a school the Buckeyes have had recent recruiting success with.
#AGTG Blessed to receive an offer from The Ohio state University!!@RecruitLangston @CoachKee pic.twitter.com/xskzYe3VJo
— Xavier Tiller (@XavierTillerLH) December 13, 2023
The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Tiller is the teammate of 2024 five-star OSU quarterback commit Air Noland at Langston Hughes High School (Fairburn, Georgia), the same school freshman tight end Jelani Thurman attended.
Tiller doesn’t hold a 247Sports composite ranking as of yet, but holds seven Division I offers, also including Auburn, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky and South Carolina. This season, Tiller caught 25 passes for 352 yards with seven touchdowns.
Former OSU QB commit Dylan Raiola could flip to Nebraska
There's been plenty of smoke connecting former Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord to Nebraska, with McCord taking an official visit to Lincoln earlier this week and various media outlets projecting he will end up with the Cornhuskers. (Update: McCord decided not to transfer to Nebraska on Wednesday.)
Another quarterback with Ohio State ties has also been connected with Nebraska this week.
Per various outlets, former OSU quarterback commit and current Georgia commit Dylan Raiola is on flip watch from the Bulldogs to the Cornhuskers. Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports is one of several insiders throughout to recruiting industry to log a prediction in favor of Nebraska as Dec. 20's National Signing Day approaches, with three other Crystal Ball projections also cast in favor of the Cornhuskers.
Raiola, considered the sixth-best prospect and second-rated quarterback in the 2024 class per 247Sports' composite rankings, has scheduled an official visit to Lincoln for this weekend.
Raiola committed to OSU in May 2022, then decommitted in December. His commitment to Georgia was in May 2023, and his potential eventual decommitment could happen in a similar timeframe.
Transfer QB DJ Uiagalelei says OSU has reached out
Since Kyle McCord entered the transfer portal, Ohio State has been loosely connected to various transfer quarterbacks on the portal market, including Riley Leonard (now committed to Notre Dame), Cam Ward and Dante Moore. As of Tuesday, you can add Oregon State transfer DJ Uiagalelei to that list, with "loosely connected" doing a lot of heavy lifting in this one.
In an interview with ESPN, Uiagalelei said OSU has reached out to him through one of his coaches, though he has not yet reciprocated that interest.
"I've talked to a couple schools," Uiagalelei told ESPN. "I've talked to Mississippi State, Louisville and Florida State. And then a few schools have reached out to a couple of my coaches of mine. Ohio State reached out to one of my coaches, I haven't talked to them, but those are the schools that have reached out."
OSU has not set up an official visit with any transfer portal quarterback as of yet, as it remains unclear if they'll heavily pursue a transfer signal-caller this winter. Ward, who has been widely considered a logical fit for the Buckeyes, reportedly scheduled an official visit to Florida State on Wednesday and told 247Sports that he might only visit Florida State and Miami, though he said he could also maybe visit one more school.
Judge’s ruling grants all NCAA multiple-time transfers temporary eligibility
In significant news on Wednesday, a West Virginia judge has granted a temporary 14-day restraining order for all transfers who have transferred more than once immediate eligibility for two weeks at minimum, per Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger. The ruling comes after multiple lawsuits were filed against the NCAA, most notably West Virginia basketball player RaeQuan Battle, who was seeking eligibility following a denial of his waiver by the NCAA after transferring for a second time.
The ruling is a temporary restraining order and not a permanent change to the NCAA’s transfer policy. A preliminary injunction hearing is set for Dec. 27.
While the immediate impact of this ruling will likely affect basketball and winter sports the most, it could apply to football teams wanting to use transfers that had been denied waivers in bowl games over the next couple of weeks.
The NCAA responded with a statement saying it would comply with the TRO.
Statement from the NCAA on todays ruling. To sum up, the NCAA will comply with the TRO and all the athletes will be eligible at least until the court rules on the preliminary injunction. pic.twitter.com/iJlMiErypy
— Ralph D. Russo (@ralphDrussoAP) December 13, 2023
