Texas Longhorns Land Massive Commitment From Five-Star LB Tyler Atkinson

On Monday, the Texas Longhorns did not have a weak 2026 recruiting class by any measurement.

With 18 commits, the most recent addition being cornerback Samari Matthews on July 11, the class had entered the top 10 of the 247Sports Composite team rankings. But still, questions remained for Texas due to the uncertainties of in-state recruiting compared to previous years and the prestige of many SEC classes above theirs. On Tuesday, however, much of the concern effectively disintegrated with the commitment of a 19th recruit.

Texas won the sweepstakes for five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson, who chose the Longhorns over the Oregon Ducks, Clemson Tigers and his home-state Georgia Bulldogs. Atkinson is the No. 9-ranked player in the 2026 class and first-ranked at his position according to the composite, receiving 50 offers over the span of his recruitment.

Atkinson's announcement

The Grayson High School product made his decision live during The Pat McAfee Show, confirming the expert predictions that came less than 24 hours earlier.

Following his announcement, Atkinson was asked by McAfee why Texas:

"What really chose me to go to Texas is the coaches, the relationship piece, the atmosphere," Atkinson said. "You know, I feel like I just can compass everything I want at Texas. I just feel like the way [they're] going to have me playing is the best fit."

His pledge to the Longhorns is a massive win for Steve Sarkisian and his defensive staff, who add another marquee recruit to an increasingly impressive 2026 class.

Atkinson's recruitment seemed to be a head-to-head battle between Georgia and Texas late in his process, with the Bulldogs having an upperhand due his hometown of Loganville being less than 40 miles from Athens. But Texas was the SEC powerhouse to win him over, their pitch during his official visit on June 20 a convincing one.

Atkinson's trip to Austin was his last official visit, the Longhorns clearly making a crucial final push.

According to OnTexasFootball's CJ Vogel, the Longhorns mentioned Atkinson being their "quarterback of the defense" and he in turn viewed spending time with Anthony Hill Jr., who currently plays that role in Austin, as a highlight of the trip. Now, Atkinson will be the successor to Hill in the middle of Pete Kwiatkowski's defense.

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— Peter Kwiatkowski (@CoachK_FBCoach) July 15, 2025

247Sports's director of scouting Andrew Ivins writes that Atkinson reminds him of former Georgia Bulldog Roquan Smith, evaluating the 6'2, 210-pound linebacker as a "highly-productive inside linebacker that can emerge as the soul of a defense with his instincts and athleticism." That sure sounds like someone who could follow in the footsteps of Hill Jr.

Not only does Atkinson become the highest-rated recruit in Texas's 2026 class, but his commitment officially allows the Longhorns to put recent setbacks on the recruiting trail in their rearview mirror.

With misses on highly-touted players like Xavier Griffin, Felix Ojo and Jamarion Carlton over the past few weeks, as well as in-state legacy recruits Kaydon Finley and Jalen Lott, the acquisitions of Atkinson and Matthews come at an important time. The past few days have been a moment of rejuvenation for the Longhorns, with the rising stock of Elite 11 MVP and Texas commit Dia Bell also contributing to that.

The Longhorns' 2026 group will likely continue to make its way up the rankings, pushing Steve Sarkisian closer to another top six-rated class. It is no surprise that Sarkisian has become a consistent magnet for top high school talent, as his track record of professional development has been on full display in the past two NFL drafts.

Atkinson's commitment continues to prove that and he will benefit from it as a Texas Longhorn.