Georgia and Kirby Smart may be dominating the 2026 recruiting cycle, but they can’t have all the elite prospects in their class. Despite having some very compelling figures in his 2026 class, like Jared Curtis, Kaiden Prothro, and James Johnson, and even sitting at the top of the recruiting class, according to On3. All that glitz failed to land a key target from his state, who picked another SEC program instead of the Bulldogs. The No. 1 LB of the 2026 class, Tyler Atkinson, is headed to a program that also rules the south.
Atkinson gave Georgia a miss and chose Texas as his collegiate football home. This is after a close fight ensued between Georgia, Clemson, and Oregon for the 5-star prospect, who tended to change the defense single-handedly. Fortunately for Steve Sarkisian, the Longhorns defense will be able to witness that. Atkinson appeared on The Pat McAfee Show to announce his recruitment and explained why it was Texas that was ‘it’ for him.
“What really drove me to go to Texas is the coaches, the relationship piece, the atmosphere. I feel like it encompasses everything I want at Texas. The way they’re going to have me playing is the best fit,” he told McAfee. Atkinson’s commitment alone put Texas in the Top 10 group, which will now have 3 5-star recruits. Atkinson will be joining Dia Bell and Richard Wesley.
Atkinson was sensational in his prep career at Grayson High. He has 475 total tackles and 31.5 sacks. And, he led his team to the Georgia 6A state championship last year. Texas was his last official visit on the calendar, and Steve Sarkisian was able to make a lasting impression. Tyler Atkinson’s commitment was much-needed for Texas, who can now hope to climb their way further up the ladder in the 2026 class.
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