Where things stand with top unsigned senior recruits

The focus on the recruiting trail has shifted almost entirely to the Class of 2023. But if you dig deep, there are still some top 2022 names left on the board that went unsigned both during the Early Signing Period and then again on Feb. 2 for various reasons. On3 looks at some of the highly ranked senior prospects that didn’t sign on Signing Day.

DL Lebbeus Overton

Alpharetta (Ga.) Milton
Star ranking: Five-Star Plus+
On3 Consensus ranking: No. 8
The Skinny: Technically Lebbeus Overton wasn’t part of the senior class until Feb. 3 when he announced he was reclassifying from 2023 to 2022.

When he made his decision to become a senior, Overton also narrowed his focus to Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Texas A&M. While there’s been rampant speculation that he could decide soon, the 6-foot-3, 269-pounder told On3’s Chad Simmons he plans to take his official visits in the spring and summer and then decide before his senior year.

The On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine is trending heavily in A&M’s favor at 97.1%.

OT Josh Conerly Jr.

Seattle Rainer Beach
Star ranking: 4 stars
On3 Consensus ranking: No. 40
The Skinny: We’ve known throughout the process that Josh Conerly Jr. was going to wait things out and take a slow and methodical approach to the recruiting process. After all the coaching shake-up this offseason, it looks like an extremely wise decision for the senior.

While he has said that he wants to decide in March, this one could go longer. Conerly can basically decide whenever he wants and has the option to go into the summer, like fellow Pacific Northwest native J.T. Tuimoloau, who picked Ohio State in July.

After visiting Michigan in the fall, Conerly was able to get out and see Oklahoma and Miami in January. He’s planning on March official visits to USC and Oregon. And hometown Washington will also get an unofficial visit.

The On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine is trending in Michigan’s favor at 23%, but Oregon, USC and Washington are also right there at 17.7%. All this means those upcoming visits will be critical in the final decision.

DL Walter Bob

Lafayette (La.) Acadiana
Star ranking: 4 stars
On3 Consensus ranking: No. 331
The Skinny: Walter Bob, a longtime Alabama commitment did not sign his national letter of intent on Signing Day. And according to multiple reports, Bob will take the junior college route.

Bob has been enrolled at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas since Jan. 7, and according to Bob’s high school coach Matt McCullough, his star senior defensive lineman will be there for the next “two years to a year-and-a-half.”

The plan for Bob is to return to Alabama as part of the 2024 class, assuming the Crimson Tide still wants him as part of its recruiting efforts. But for now, Hutch coaches are treating Bob as he was “placed” there, meaning he will be off the market for recruiters.

WR Quinton Conley

Kansas City (Mo.) The Pembroke Hill School
Star ranking: 3 stars
On3 Consensus ranking: No. 478
The Skinny: Quinton Conley has big-time talent and was being heavily courted by top programs like Kentucky, Missouri, Iowa State, Nebraska and others throughout his senior year. Heck, he even officially visited Kentucky.

But tragedy struck during his senior season when he broke his left arm while playing quarterback for Pembroke Hill. Conley was recently cleared to begin upper-body workouts again and all of his scholarship offers have transitioned to preferred walk-on opportunities.

He visited Kansas before the start of the dead period and other schools are still monitoring his progress. He said he is not going to rush into a decision. Some school is going to get a hidden gem with Conley.

DL Dejon Roney

Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.) Etiwanda
Star ranking: 3 stars
On3 Consensus ranking: No. 533
The Skinny: Dejon Roney name was circulating quite a bit in Pac-12 Country, especially at USC and  Oregon, after all the coaching changes. There was even a point in his senior season where Nevada was projected to land the three-star defensive lineman. But it appears his recruitment was severely impacted by the Silly Season, and Roney says his recruitment is “still open to any and everyone.”