BLACKSBURG — Jeffrey Overton said he was not sure if and when he would be inserted into Saturday’s Virginia Tech football game against No. 14 Miami.
Now it might be questionable to consider taking the true freshman off the field.
Three weeks into his delayed Hokies debut, Overton gave a frustrated Lane Stadium crowd something to celebrate when his 38-yard run early in the third quarter gave Virginia Tech its first touchdown of the game and a reminder why the speedy tailback from Northern Virginia was coveted by so many college programs.
“When I broke through and made it to the second level, I already knew I was gone and nobody was going to catch me,” he said.
Miami went on to win the game 34-17, but Overton, who finished with 69 yards on seven carries — both season highs — was one of several players whose big second-half moments kept the Hurricanes uncomfortable throughout the second half.
“He hit a backdoor lane, and Jeff’s got that ultimate speed — that thing you can’t coach,” Virginia Tech interim coach Philip Montgomery said. “He did a really nice job with that run.”
A moment like this was something Overton had grown used to during his high school days, when he rushed for more than 6,500 yards in his last three seasons and scored 112 touchdowns during the same span. He was good enough that not only did the Hokies want him to enroll early so he could participate at spring practice, they wanted him on the field for bowl-game preparations.
Unfortunately, a knee injury at one of those Duke’s Mayo Bowl workouts sidelined Overton and began a lengthy rehab process that kept him out during the spring and continued to limit him in the fall. From the sidelines, he watched Virginia Tech lose its first three games of the 2025 season and part ways with head coach Brent Pry.
His debut came back on Nov. 1 against Louisville, where he had four carries for 9 yards. He added another 15 on three carries Nov. 15 at Florida State, as well as a 36-yard pass reception that set up a Kyron Drones TD run on the next play.
Saturday’s TD run got the emotions flowing.
“Definitely, I was excited about getting my first touchdown,” Overton said. “… It was just a deep moment for me right there.”
Overton was not the only young player having an impact Saturday. The offensive line that helped create the hole he went through on the TD featured two redshirt freshmen and a redshirt sophomore.
At quarterback, backup Pop Watson took advantage of the few minutes he got on the field after Drones, the Hokies’ long-time starter, was pulled from the game by Montgomery due to taking a string of big hits from the Miami defense.
Watson barely got his arm warmed up when found Ayden Greene open downfield on a fourth-and-11 situation. Watson later added a TD run to cut the Canes’ lead to 27-17.
The media were advised not to ask questions about incoming head coach James Franklin, but players at times did address their own future.
Due to his late start to the season, Overton still will have four years of eligibility remaining and will have to decide if he wants to continue his career with the Hokies or try his luck elsewhere. Overton did not comment on if he has considered moving on to another college after this season wraps for the Hokies on Saturday at Virginia. He did, however, talk about why he decided to come to Virginia Tech out of high school.
“The players here and all of the coaching staff just treated me like a family from the jump,” Overton said. “Definitely having that family feeling sold me from the get-go.”
