Week 4: Jeffrey Overton Jr., Virginia Tech

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photo courtesy virginia tech athletics

Virginia Tech running back Jeffrey Overton Jr., who starred at Hayfield Secondary School in Alexandria, has been named the DC Touchdown Club College Player of the Week after posting one of the best rushing performances ever by a Hokies player and lifting the team to victory this past Saturday.

Overton, a sophomore, rushed 25 times for 209 yards, including a decisive 76-yard touchdown run with five minutes left, as the visiting Hokies beat Boston College, 21-14, on a cold and wet afternoon. It was the sixth-highest rushing total for a Virginia Tech player and the most for a Hokies player in a road game in 22 years.

Overton missed last season’s first eight games because of a knee injury. He returned to rush for 146 yards and one touchdown in the season’s final four games. During the offseason, he gained more than 20 pounds and that added strength has brought added speed.

"When I got here, Jeff was 185 pounds," Franklin told reporters after the game. "[Now], he's 207 pounds. So, he's put on that type of weight in a short period of time and hasn't lost a step. And I make the argument he's actually gotten faster."

Overton rushed nine times for 140 yards in the fourth quarter as the Hokies erased a 14-6 deficit. He ran for the game-tying two-point conversion, scored the long touchdown on his next carry and then helped the Hokies run out the clock at the end of the game.

This week’s DC Touchdown Club College Player of the Week Honor Roll:

  • Iowa DB Tyler Brown (Spalding) made nine tackles as the Hawkeyes beat Michigan, 20-19.

  • Florida LB Aaron Chiles (Good Counsel) made seven tackles with one tackle for loss and forced a fumble as the Gators beat Ole Miss, 52-28.

  • Holy Cross WR Lincoln Fisher (Gonzaga) caught seven passes for 105 yards and a touchdown as the Crusaders beat Lafayette, 38-30.

  • Bowie State RB Maximus Jones (Old Mill) rushed 23 times for 148 yards and two touchdowns as the Bulldogs beat Elizabeth City State, 34-23.

  • Marist QB Sonny Mannino (Tuscarora, Va.) completed 20 of 26 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns and rushed 15 times for 63 yards and two touchdowns as the Foxes beat Presbyterian, 42-7.

  • Navy LB MarcAnthony Parker made 10 tackles and had three sacks as the Midshipmen lost to UAB, 24-20.

  • Monmouth QB Frankie Weaver (Good Counsel) completed 33 of 42 passes for 313 yards and two touchdowns as the Hawks rallied to beat Dartmouth, 31-28.

  • Alabama LB Caleb Woodson (Battlefield) tied his career-high with 12 tackles as the Crimson Tide beat South Carolina, 49-18.