Maryland football OV primer: RB Jeff Overton Jr.

Maryland is in the midst of its third of four official visit weekend as head coach Mike Locksley and his staff look to add to their current nine-man recruiting class heading into the rest of June. With double-digit visitors on campus, we take a look at new Hayfield (VA) three-star running back Jeff Overton Jr. as the three-star prospect takes his latest visit to College Park.

Top suitors: Maryland, Ohio State, South Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech

Background: the explosive Virginia running back made a name for himself as an underclassman, breaking loose for nearly 2,400 yards and 38 total touchdowns as a sophomore to lead Freedom to the Class 6 state championship, ultimately being named the Offensive Player of the Year. He then went on to top that as a junior, averaging over 13 yards per carry and rushing for over 2,700 yards and registering 41 touchdowns to help Freedom secure back-to-back titles. Overton also became the first athlete from Freedom (VA) to be named Gatorade Virginia Football Player of the Year. Boasting a near-3.3 GPA, Overton transferred to Hayfield this offseason after both his uncle, Darryl, and dad, Jeff Sr., were named Hayfield’s new head coach and defensive coordinator.

Skinny: Overton entered high school as an early name to know in the 2025 cycle, but after drawing an array of then-Power Five interest, Maryland became the first school to extend an offer after the three-star made the way to campus among several teammates for what would be the first of several visits through the 2022 season. With current assistant Lance Thompson leading the way and the Terps becoming a familiar contender, Maryland emerged as an early contender for the explosive Virginia running back with both Virginia and Virginia Tech prioritizing the in-state target.

Overton’s dominance in consecutive seasons drew interest from Ohio State and former position coach Tony Alford as they kept tabs on the 5-foot-9.5, 190-pound back through the spring, making themselves a wildcard in the race before the coaching change. South Carolina has made a push through the spring and, despite missing out on his top five, wound up replacing the Buckeyes on Overton’s visit schedule as he kicked off official visit season with a trip to Columbia. There’s confidence in South Carolina’s chances with Overton after rolling out the red carpet, while in-state Virginia was able to lean on relationships during last weekend’s official visit to remain in the mix.

Now it’s Maryland’s turn as assistant Latrell Scott has spearheaded efforts since arriving in the program back in March of 2023, where they’ll get a chance to showcase Overton’s big-play ability in a revamped running back rotation alongside DeMatha (MD) three-star Bud Coombs. Maryland has remained an active threat throughout Overton’s recruitment with relationships well-established as the Terps look to secure their second running back in the ’25 cycle. Overton will close out the month with an official visit to Virginia Tech next weekend where the Hokies have been a consistent player as head coach Brent Pry looks to reel in more in-state talent.

Maryland football OV primer: RB Jeff Overton Jr.

Ahmed Ghafir