One Freshman the Texas Longhorns Will Have to Lean On After the NFL Draft

Which freshman will the Texas Longhorns be leaning on in 2026 after losing key pieces of their roster to the NFL Draft?

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian observes the second half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

The NFL Draft is officially over, and all eyes have turned to the 2026 season for the Texas Longhorns as they look to complete their quest to bring a national championship back to Austin for the first time in over 20 seasons.

While the Longhorns didn't lose many players to the NFL, they did lose significant contributors, especially on defense. Head coach Steve Sarkisian understood that and brought in plenty of talent through the transfer portal and the high school recruiting class.

Much of the focus has been on the transfers, but which freshman will be a critical piece of the Longhorns success in 2026, and will be relied on to help ease the transition between the teams?

How Tyler Atkinson Will Impact the Longhorns 2026 Success

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

A major piece of the Longhorns' offseason was landing a replacement for Anthony Hill Jr., a consistent contributor to the team's success and a driving force on defense over the past two seasons. While that problem seems solved through the addition of Rasheem Biles, who was lighting up the spring camp with his play-making abilities, freshman Tyler Atkinson could be another significant player the Longhorns lean on.

Atkinson was a major splash on the recruiting trail for Sarkisian and his staff, as he was ranked as the No. 1 linebacker in the country and the No. 19 overall prospect in the class. Stealing the Georgia native away was already a big win, and now that he is on campus, he has been turning heads with his football IQ and abilities.

There's no secret that Atkinson's athletic abilities are already in an elite category, as evidenced by his sideline-to-sideline speed, which he demonstrated multiple times throughout camp and throughout his high school career. Combine his technical abilities with learning under a slew of veterans in the linebacker room, and he seems primed to make an immediate impact on the field.

With Will Muschamp taking over as the new defensive coordinator as well, the Longhorns will need two to three linebackers they can trust within the system, and while Biles is one, Atkinson will be in play to earn the trust of the coaching staff through fall camp.

While losing the talent of a player like Hill can hurt teams, the Longhorns seem primed to reload in a critical upcoming season. With much of the production expected to come from transfers, Atkinson could quickly turn into a trustworthy piece and show why Sarkisian and his staff were so high on the linebacker out of high school.

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