FRISCO - DeMarvion Overshown will likely always be the pride of tiny Arp, Texas, population 987.

And he's about to become - if things go as planned - the pride of the Dallas Cowboys, too, as there is light at the end of his NFL tunnel after a pair of lengthy rehabs.

But in between? Yes, in Austin he's still considered the pride of the University of Texas football program, where his electric and explosive talent made him a third-round pick of the Cowboys in the 2023 NFL Draft.

The Cowboys recently moved linebacker Overshown off the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list and activated him ... with the possibility that he might play at soon as Monday night at the Las Vegas Raiders.

There is a big-picture storyline here, as the Cowboys are just 3-5-1 while having been weighed down by one of the NFL's crummiest defenses.

"Agent Zero'' - a jersey-number-related nickname from his college days that sticks in the pros now that he's switched from No. 13 to No. 0 - is being counted on to fix some of what ails that bunch.

"The sky is the limit,'' said the always-positive Overshown recently. "It's time to go!''

If Overshown can return to form and contribute this season? It would mark a key move forward for a group led by coordinator Matt Eberflus that has often seem confused and overwhelmed.

But as much as fans of the Longhorns and the Cowboys would love to see it ... we've urged all involved to tap the brakes just a little bit.

Overshown sustained his second season-ending knee injury in his first three pro seasons in Week 14 of the 2024 campaign against the Cincinnati Bengals, as he tore his ACL, PCL and MCL.

It was a massive loss, as at the time, Overshown was in the midst of a breakout season as through 13 games he had 90 tackles, five sacks, eight tackles for loss, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one interception returned for a touchdown.

Before that, Overshown tore his ACL in the second preseason game of his rookie year in 2022.

At one point, the Cowboys were hopeful that in Week 13, for the Thanksgiving Day game against the Kansas City Chiefs, "Agent Zero'' might be available.

Could his reappearance come before that? Should it?

We know that the Cowboys will move with caution here while not letting DeMarvion's buoyant personality push him into doing too much too soon.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones suggests some "rust'' and maybe a pitch count awaits Overshown upon his return. But this much we know: His fans in Dallas, in Austin and in Arp? They can barely wait.