2026 Five-Star Texas Signee Chooses New Jersey Number

The 2026 season is still seven months out, but the Texas Longhorns' strong class of 2026 is getting ready to make its debut.

Tyler Atkinson visits OSU the day of the Ohio State Buckeyes' 38-15 win over the Indiana Hoosiers in an NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. | Lori Schmidt / Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson chose the Texas Longhorns over his home state powerhouse program, those in the football recruiting world turned their heads.

The Georgia native chose burnt orange over the red and black in an unexpected move, joining the Longhorns No. 10 ranked recruiting class over the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs one.

The early enrollee is just under seven months out from his first collegiate matchup, and now, he has officially locked down a jersey number to wear during the 2026 season: 16.

Atkinson to inherit new number from Longhorn veteran 

Oct 18, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Texas Longhorns defensive back Michael Taaffe (16) celebrates after the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

As Atkinson prepares to embrace college football, former Texas Longhorns defensive back Michael Taaffe prepares for the NFL Draft. While the two are in different chapters of their careers, they are linked by their wearing of the same number on the Forty Acres. 

Taaffe’s departure meant that No. 16 was officially open on the defensive side of the ball, and Atkinson has chosen to fill the vacancy. This means he will also be sharing the number with quarterback Arch Manning, just as Taaffe has for these past few years. 

If all goes as planned for the Longhorns, each player wearing No. 16 will establish prowess on the field this upcoming season.  

Atkinson gearing up for freshman season

Atkinson is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 5 prospect in Georgia and the No. 4 linebacker in the nation. He has earned or been in the conversation for several major accolades throughout his high school tenure, including Gatorade Player of the Year in Georgia his senior year and MaxPreps National Junior of the Year in 2024.

Across 11 games his senior year, he racked up 91 tackles (27 tackles for loss), 24 quarterback hurries, 10 sacks and two forced fumbles.

Andrew Ivins, 247Sports’ director of scouting, described Atkinson as a “tackle machine with rare football instincts that brings it every single snap and did so for four years in one of the Peach State’s highest classifications.”

If he can live up to the hype in his new number, this could be a strong year for both him and his defensive unit as a whole. Atkinson was one of the Longhorns’ most competitive recruiting victories, and it will be interesting to see what he can bring to the table at the next level. 

The Longhorns look to integrate this new class into their program as smoothly as possible, in order to be to go come September.