Surrounded by his three sisters, mother Laura and father Victor, 2026 five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson announced his commitment to the Texas Longhorns live on The Pat McAfee Show Tuesday morning.
The Georgia-native selected the Longhorns over Georgia, Oregon and Clemson.
“I want to say all four schools, it’s just been a blessing for them to be pouring into me. I love each one of the coaches. I’m very thankful for them to be a part of my journey,” Atkinson said on the Pat McAfee show. “It’s been a hard process and hard decision-making just to pick one school. I wish I could play for all four schools, but that’s not reality.”
Holding 50 offers from across the country and rated No. 1 nationally by ESPN for his position, Atkinson is one of the most intriguing prospects in the 2026 class. Atkinson was kept busy on the recruiting trail this past month, going on official visits to the four schools he had narrowed down on his list.
Ultimately, his last visit on June 20 to Austin proved to be the deciding factor for the best player in Georgia and the No. 9 overall player in the class, telling Rivals Chad Simmons, “My (official visit) to Texas was eye-opening.”
“What really chose me to go to Texas is the coaches, the relationship piece, the atmosphere. I feel I just encompass everything I want at Texas,” Atkinson said. “I feel like the way they go have me playing is, is just the best fit and that’s why I chose Texas.”
Atkinson has everything you want in a linebacker — an intimidating presence patrolling the middle and acts like a human bowling ball with elite downfield speed, causing problems in the backfield, creating sacks and negative yardage.
In three years, starting on varsity, Atkinson has played against the best competition in the state of Georgia. In 40 career games, Atkinson has compiled 250 solo tackles, 79 tackles for a loss and 31.5 sacks.
Starting 13 games for Grayson High School, Atkinson was named the most valuable player of his high school’s 6A championship win last season. Atkinson had 77 solo tackles, 32 tackles for a loss and a career high 13 sacks. He also picked up an interception and a fumble recovery to round out his dominant MaxPreps Junior of the Year season.
Atkinson’s commitment bolsters an already talented defensive class by the Longhorns, which is currently ranked the sixth-best overall recruiting class in the 2026 cycle, according to 247Sports.
“We’ve obviously made it a point to recruit more in the southeastern region when we moved into the SEC,” head coach Steve Starkisan said at SEC football kickoff media days. “It’s a lot more palatable for those families and for those kids to want to come play at Texas, knowing we’re playing in the Southeastern Conference.”
With his senior year looming, Atkinson still has a year left to sharpen his craft at the high school level before setting foot on the Forty Acres as a student-athlete. There will be a lot of competition waiting for him in the linebacker room in Austin.
“It’s a blessing as a dad to see your kids chase their dreams and accomplish the goals that they have set (and) the journey has just been tremendous,” Victor Atkinson added. “I’m just excited for him. I’m proud of him and I’m excited to see him in the next chapter in Texas.”
