On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine favors one team for Lebbeus Overton
As National Signing Day for the 2022 class looms less than 24 hours from now, one of the top prospects in the 2023 cycle is now heavily favored to land with one team. Five-Star Plus+ defensive lineman Lebbeus Overton, the No. 2 overall prospect in the 2023 class, is predicted to commit to Texas A&M, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM).
The 6-foot-3, 270-pounder is the country’s top defensive lineman and the No. 1 player in the state of Georgia, but the Aggies have been working on him hard for more than two years now. And it appears that has paid off, with two predictions from On3 experts pointing toward A&M.
On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons and Senior National Recruiting Analyst Gerry Hamilton have each logged predictions in favor of Jimbo Fisher and Co., pushing the Aggies up to a 96 percent chance to land Overton.
The On3 RPM was released to the public in December. The On3 engineering group teamed up with Spiny.ai to create the industry’s first algorithm and machine learning-based product to predict where athletes will attend college.
It factors in machine learning, expert predictions, social sentiment, visits, and historical trends. However, expert predictions are still a big piece of the RPM equation.
Texas A&M looking to capitalize on recruiting momentum
Heading into Wednesday’s second signing period, the Aggies are a proverbial lock to take home the No. 1 class in 2022, and that doesn’t yet include two possible five-star commits. Elite defensive lineman Shemar Stewart and safety Jacoby Mathews both have the Aggies in their final group. The RPM favors the Aggies over Miami to land Stewart, while LSU is in the lead for Mathews.
If the Aggies do land Stewart, they will lock up the No. 1 overall class and come within just a few percentage points of Alabama’s 2021 crop for the highest-ranked recruiting class ever.
They have carried that momentum into the 2023 class, already adding four commitments. Overton joining that group would push the Aggies to No. 4 nationally in the early On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rankings.
Lebbeus Overton Scouting Summary
“Powerful, quick-twitch defender with an elite production profile playing in Georgia’s highest classification. Has been considered among the top prospects in the cycle dating to his freshman season. Possesses a large frame at 6-foot-3, 270 pounds with long arms, large hands and big feet. May ultimately grow into an interior defensive lineman, but has the quickness and burst to play on the edge. A dominant high school football player who averaged over 1.5 sacks per game as a freshman and sophomore.
Creates issues for opposing offensive linemen with his considerable first step and ability to convert speed to power. Plays with a relentless motor and often runs down plays from the back side. A violent and physical finisher behind the line of scrimmage. Also plays and processes the game quickly. Working his way back to speed after missing some games to start his junior year with broken bones in his foot. Doubles as a starter on a nationally-ranked high school basketball team.” — Charles Power, On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings