Lebbeus Overton is the first 5-star recruit in the class of 2023

Lebbeus Overton burst onto the high school football scene as a freshman putting up gaudy numbers in Alabama.

Now, he has the five-star label every recruit covets.

Overton currently sits atop 247Sports’ class of 2023 Top247 rankings, which were released Wednesday, as the lone five-star recruit in the class. The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Overton is fresh off a sophomore season in which he recorded 70 tackles, 21.5 sacks and six forced fumbles at Alpharetta (Ga.) Milton High School.

Overton started his high school football career at Bessemer Academy in Alabama, where he established himself as a force on the defensive by posting 105 tackles, 42 tackles for loss, 19 sacks and 13 quarterback hurries. A family move landed Overton playing against better competition in Georgia last season, but his production remained elite nonetheless.

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“Coming from a small school in Alabama, everybody doubted me coming from a small division to the biggest division in Georgia,” Overton said in an interview with 247Sports’ Steve Wiltfong. “It was a blessing the way I’m coached at Milton and being taught new and different things throughout the season.”

While Overton is on his way to putting together a storied high school career on the gridiron, football isn’t the only sport he specializes in. Overton recently received offers to play both football and basketball at Stanford and Ohio State. He is also an elite student, with a 4.0-grade point average to his name.

Overton’s academic prowess figures to play a major role in how his recruitment ultimately plays out. Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon and Texas A&M are all major players to land Overton, but it’s going to take more than just the football aspect of the pitch to reel him in.

“He’s really smart in math and science,” Overton’s mother, Eunice, said. “Me being in the academic arena I’m able to coach him up on what to look for, and he likes business. So maybe a STEM major. That’s going to be big. Some schools do have them, some schools have it incorporated in their academic affairs. They’re going to have to be good in stem or have a top business school.”