Done deal: Razorbacks signed a new safety prospect, pledges commitments
Sam Pittman and the Razorbacks signed this safety prospect on Thursday afternoon, bringing their total of verbal commitments to five.
Ala., mobile Taijh Overton, a safety for Williamson, has verbally committed to the Arkansas Razorbacks and Sam Pittman. At 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, the 6-2, 190-pound defensive back announced his decision to become the sixth pledge for the Hogs in the Class of 2025.
Overton rejected scholarship offers from Florida State, Missouri, Ole Miss, Memphis, Marshall, Liberty, and other universities in favor of the Razorbacks. He made an unofficial visit to Fayetteville on March 9 and will make an official visit again on June 21. On January 30, assistant head coach Scott Fountain made him an offer.
“My family and I felt at home when we went up there,” Overton explained his choice to HawgSports. “My interactions and connection with the coaches are incredibly strong. I was enamored with their entire program while I was up there, from their football team to its educational component.
Overton, a three-star recruit, is ranked 33rd overall in the state of Alabama for the Class of 2025, and 66th nationally among all safety prospects, according to 247Sports. Overton is ranked even higher by 247Sports Composite, which places him as the nation’s 49th safety and the 28th prospect in his home state.
Known by his moniker “The Hammer,” Overton racked up 116 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 3 interceptions, 19 passes defended, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in his junior year.
Overton joins a class in Maumelle, Arkansas, Central Arkansas, which already had four commitments. The following players are Christian quarterbacks: Grayson Wilson, Markeylin Batton of Atlanta (Texas), Jayden Shelton of Dallas (Texas) South Oak Cliff linebacker, and Evan Noel of Bay St. Louis (Miss.) St. Stanislaus kicker.
The Razorbacks go up to 54th in the nation and 13th in the league with the arrival of Overton, from 61st nationally in the team recruiting rankings and 15th in the SEC.
In three classes between 2020 and 2022, Arkansas recruited no prospects from Alabama; however, in 2023, it signed three players from Yellowhammer State, and in 2024, it added four more players, including three four-star recruits in linebacker Bradley Shaw, quarterback KJ Jackson, and defensive lineman Kavion Henderson. A total of 27 prospects from Alabama have been offered by the Razorbacks for the Class of 2025. Official visits by Dillon Alfred, a wide receiver from Overton and Saraland, and Jeremiah Alvis, a cornerback from Helena, DJ Vinson, a wide receiver from The Montgomery Academy, defensive end Caleb Smith from Birmingham Parker, and wide receiver Tristan Norman from Montgomery Carver are scheduled for June 21.
Eight scholarship safeties, including redshirt-super senior Hudson Clark, super-senior Doneiko Slaughter, senior Jayden Johnson, junior Miguel Mitchell, sophomore TJ Metcalf, sophomore Dylan Hasz, and two redshirt-freshmen in RJ Johnson and Christian Ford, will be joined by Overton in the Arkansas secondary.
On Day 9 of the 15-day spring transfer window, Pittman and the Hogs are currently hosting a number of transfer targets. Transfer linebackers Nikhai Hill-Green of Charlotte, Rodney Hill of Florida State, Larry Worth of Jacksonville State, Jaylin Alderman of Louisville, Anthony Switzer of Utah State, and Tawfiq Thomas of Louisville, a defensive tackle, have all paid visits to the Razorbacks thus far.
This Friday, Elinus Noel III of Texas Southern is slated to arrive in Fayetteville, Arkansas, adding another defensive lineman to the mix.
More information about Overton’s choice and how it affects the Razorbacks’ future roster will be available soon on HawgSports.
