Tyler Atkinson is officially a Texas Longhorn. After committing to the Horns over his home state Georgia Bulldogs, the Oregon Ducks, and the Clemson Tigers, hype and attention around Texas have skyrocketed.
Now, Texas fans are eagerly waiting for Atkinson to actually step foot onto the Forty Acres, which won't happen until the spring of 2026. However, the Horns can start building expectations for the young linebacker.
To begin with, Atkinson was the No. 1 linebacker and the No. 9 overall player in the entire recruiting class. That status was earned, not given.
Tyler Atkinson high school stats
- 475 total tackles (250 solo)
- 79 tackles for loss
- 93 hurry-ups
- 31.5 sacks
- 7 pass deflections
- 4 forced fumbles
- 3 fumble recoveries
- 1 interception
Atkinson announced his commitment on ESPN's Pat McAfee Show. After his commitment, McAfee's praise for the prospect was unending, already labeling him as a professional athlete at the age of 17.
With Atkinson's physical build and on-field skills, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian undeniably just found his replacement for his current star linebackers, Colin Simmons and Anthony Hill Jr. Beyond the stats, Atkinson is already 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, which is an absolutely massive frame for a high school athlete.
Just before his commitment, Atkinson gave specific shoutouts to Micah Parsons and Roquan Smith, arguably two of the best linebackers in the NFL, saying that he has looked up to them for years and models his game after the two stars.
Sark landed the commitment over the Bulldogs, who quickly became the Longhorns' newest rival after the team's first season in the SEC.
He also out-recruited Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, who has become prolific for his NIL work with Nike's Phil Knight. Not to mention, Sarkisian beat Dabo Swinney's bid for Atkinson's recruitment despite the Tigers also having one of the best recruiting classes in the country.
While Atkinson won't play for the Longhorns until 2026, Texas should be extremely excited about this commitment. When a big-time player commits to a program, it motivates other top talents to do the same, which could bring even more good tidings to Sarkisian's roster.