Kendre Miller

DeMarvion Overshown is staying in Texas.

The former Arp High School standout who played at the University of Texas was selected in the third round (90th overall) in the NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys on Friday night.

Overshown finished his Texas career with 165 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, five sacks, one interception and three fumble recoveries.

Overshown was a five-star recruit by 247Sports, ranked as the No. 28 overall recruit and No. 1 safety in the Class of 2018. He had several offers, including Alabama, Arkansas, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, LSU and USC. Overshown’s hometown of Arp has a population of fewer than 1,000 people.

Overshown is the third East Texan selecte in this dyear’s draft, joining West Rusk’s Tyree Wilson (Texas Tech), who went No. 7 overall in the first round to the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday, and Kendre Miller, who went No. 71 to the New Orleans Saints on Friday.

Overshown is the 12th Texas player drafted by the Cowboys in program history and the first since offensive lineman Connor Williams was picked in the second round of the 2018 draft. He will join former Longhorn LB Malik Jefferson on the current roster.

“DeMarvion’s a guy that moved from safety to linebacker and made so many big plays for us,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said. “He’s a guy that put in the work and his teammates rallied around, too. Demo is really active, very instinctive, and an aggressive and physical football player. Not only is he really good on defense, he’s excellent on special teams, and I think he’s continuing to grow as a linebacker. He did great things for us, but I believe his best days are ahead of him. The Dallas Cowboys are so lucky to have him.

“DeMarvion has always been a Cowboy at heart, and it’s so cool that he’ll be playing right up the road in Dallas, not far from where he grew up. He’s a Texan through and through, and we’re thrilled he’ll be continuing to play ball in our great state.”

Overshown played five seasons in Austin, appearing in 50 games with 33 starts. He moved from safety to linebacker following his sophomore season in 2019, on his way to becoming a two-time Butkus Award semifinalist (2021, 2022). Overshown completed his Longhorn career with 249 tackles (136 solo), 30.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks. He had three career interceptions, 17 passes defended, three fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles and blocked a punt in the 2021 Red River Showdown against Oklahoma.

In 2022, he earned All-Big 12 First Team from the conference’s coaches and the AP after establishing career bests with 96 tackles (49 solo), 10 tackles for loss and four sacks while adding two quarterback hurries and five pass breakups. He registered at least five tackles in 11 of 12 games, averaging 8.0 tackles per game, and recorded double-digit tackles three times, including a career-high 14 against Baylor in the regular-season finale, his final game as a Longhorn.

An honorable mention All-Big 12 selection in 2020 and 2021, the Arp native was the Defensive MVP of the 2020 Valero Alamo Bowl after tallying six tackles (four solo), 0.5 tackles for loss, one interception, one fumble recovery and two quarterback hurries in Texas’ victory over Colorado.

“It was surreal,” Overshown said. “As soon as I got the call and I saw it said, ‘The Star,’ I went crazy and I ran out of the room, but it’s a moment I’ll never forget. The looks I saw on family’s faces, the tears that instantly came out from them, and mine, I’m not going to lie, I had some tears, but people kept asking me how I was going to feel after I heard my name called, but it was one of those feelings that you don’t get until it happens. I couldn’t stop yelling, I heard Jerry Jones on the phone, and I’m screaming, ‘Let’s go,’ while he’s trying to talk to me. It’s surreal, but I’m ready. They told me I have 12 days, but I’m ready to get there now.”