High School

Tyler Atkinson, nation's No. 1 linebacker, visiting Ohio State Buckeyes this weekend

Andrew Nemec

Grayson (Georgia) five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson poses with Ohio State coach Ryan Day
Grayson (Georgia) five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson poses with Ohio State coach Ryan Day / Courtesy of Tyler Atkinso

The Ohio State Buckeyes are hosting a star-studded collection of visitors this weekend.

And the latest addition may be the headliner.

This week, Grayson (Georgia) five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson confirmed he will be in Columbus this weekend.

In fact, he announced that he was already on his way:

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound athlete is rated the nation's No, 7 overall prospect and No. 1 linebacker, but even that doesn't totally encapsulate his value.

While there are a handful of elite quarterbacks, offensive tackles, edge-rushers and wide receivers seemingly in every class, Atkinson is viewed by some as an even more valuable asset because of his versatiltiy and rarity.

Only two linebackers find themselves in the top-50 in the overall national rankings and Atkinson has a significant edge over the No. 2 player at his position (Xavier Griffin, No. 21; Committed to USC).

Atkinson's offer sheet backs up both his versality and value, as he's been offered by at least 50 college football programs and many of them run different schemes.

Here's what 247Sports had to say about Atkinson as a prospect:

"Highly-productive inside linebacker that can emerge as the soul of a defense with his instincts and athleticism. Owns more of a streamlined build at this stage, but is blessed with a longer frame and should have no issues eventually carrying 225 pounds or more. Quick to locate the football with his field awareness and will mirror ball carries with his rare start-stop ability and exceptional lateral burst. Has proven to be rather effective on the blitz as he will slip and dip around blockers before geting to the quarterback. Not one that has been asked to man-up a ton in coverage, but is comfortable dropping back into space and shading passing lanes. Must keep improving play strength and get better at attacking college-sized linemen, but should be viewed as a playmaking second-level defender that can rack up stops all over the field like he has been doing since he was a freshman for one of the Peach State’s top programs. Could fit into a variety of different schemes at the next level and will likely offer three-down value given how he moves and strikes."

Atkinson will be joined in Columbus by Lake Ridge (Texas) five-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo and Huntington Beach (California) five-star quarterback Brady Edmunds, a class of 2027 prospect who is locked in with Ohio State.

"(I'm) 1,000 percent locked in," Edmunds said. "Playing at OSU has been my dream all my life and with everything they’ve got going on right now it fits me perfectly as a player and a person."

But even amongst a star-studded lineup Atkinson stands out as a truly special talent.

Now, can Ohio State lure him away from the in-state Georgia Bulldogs?

That's going to prove to be a challenge, but this weekend could help the effort.

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Andrew Nemec
ANDREW NEMEC

Andrew Nemec covers national high school recruiting and brings more than a decade of experience. Andrew hosts "Recruiting with Andrew Nemec" on ESPN-affiliate 1080 The FAN in Portland, Oregon. He holds a journalism degree from the University of Oregon.

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