Longhorns land Atkinson, top OLB in 2026 class

Five-star enlistee Tyler Atkinson, ESPN's No. 1 extracurricular linebacker successful the 2026 class, announced his committedness to Texas during an quality connected the "The Pat McAfee Show" connected Tuesday, handing the Longhorns a coveted pledge implicit finalists Clemson , Georgia and Oregon .

Atkinson, who plays astatine Georgia's Grayson High School, is the No. 14 wide imaginable successful the 2026 ESPN 300 and 1 of the nation's astir productive precocious schoolhouse defenders. He follows No. 1 wide backmost Dia Bell (No. 4 successful the ESPN 300) and antiaircraft extremity Richard Wesley (No. 11) arsenic the third five-star recruit to articulation Longhorns manager Steve Sarkisian's incoming recruiting class.

"What truly told maine to spell to Texas was the coaches -- the narration piece, the atmosphere," Atkinson told McAfee. "I consciousness similar I conscionable encompass everything I privation astatine Texas...the mode they person maine playing is the champion acceptable and that's wherefore I chose Texas."

Long favored to onshore with the Bulldogs, Atkinson's Longhorns pledge marks Texas' latest recruiting triumph implicit its newly-minted SEC rivals, arriving conscionable 8 months aft Sarkisian and Co. swooped successful to bushed Georgia to five-star in-state antiaircraft tackle Justus Terry (No. 8 overall) successful the 2025 people past December.

Atkinson, the No. 1 enlistee successful the authorities of Georgia successful 2026, visited the Bulldogs much than a twelve times passim his recruitment. ESPN sources continued to presumption Georgia arsenic front-runners successful his process into mid-June earlier Texas pulled level successful the contention pursuing Atkinson's authoritative sojourn play from June 20-22.

Sources adjacent to the recruitment told ESPN that a choky conflict betwixt Texas and Georgia came down to the "small details" successful caller days.

A three-year starter astatine Grayson High School successful Loganville, Georgia, Atkinson has been credited with 483 tackles, 93 hurries and 31.5 sacks since his freshman play successful 2022. He totaled 174 tackles with 13 sacks past fall, guiding Loganville to a 14-1 grounds and a 6A authorities rubric triumph implicit Georgia precocious schoolhouse powerhouse Carrollton High School and 2025 five-star backmost Julian Lewis.

Atkinson present joins Wesley, ESPN's No. 3 antiaircraft end, atop an progressively heavy Texas antiaircraft people successful 2026.

The Longhorns stocked up connected the antiaircraft enactment successful June with the additions of 3 ESPN 300 antiaircraft tackles among Corey Wells (No. 188 overall), Dylan Berymon (No. 191) and Vodney Cleveland (No. 210). Three-star in-state extracurricular linebacker Kosi Okpala committed to Texas earlier this month, and the Longhorns clasp pledges from a brace of ESPN 300 cornerbacks betwixt Samari Matthews (No. 99) and Hayward Howard Jr. (No. 248).

Atkinson's determination Tuesday leaves lone 2 of ESPN's 23 five-stars successful the 2026 ESPN 300 inactive uncommitted. Texas and Georgia are acceptable to adjacent retired different high-profile recruiting conflict aboriginal this week with five-star rusher Derrek Cooper -- ESPN's top-ranked moving backmost successful 2026 -- scheduled to denote his committedness among the Longhorns, Bulldogs, Florida State, Miami and Ohio State connected Sunday.