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With the 2025 college football season fast approaching, Texas made another splash on the recruiting circuit. The Longhorns bolstered their future talent pool by receiving a massive commitment from five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson on Tuesday.
Atkinson committed to Texas after also visiting Georgia, Oregon and Clemson, according to On3 Sports' Hayes Fawcett. The Longanville, Georgia, native is a consensus five-star recruit and top-five linebacker in the class of 2026.
Atkinson has been dominant throughout his high school career, receiving interest since bursting onto the scene as a freshman. The 6-foot-2 linebacker has racked up 475 tackles and 31.5 sacks in his three years, per MaxPreps. He led Grayson High School to a 14-1 record in 2024, finishing second in the state.
As the No. 1-rated linebacker by most sites, Atkinson significantly boosts Texas' 2026 football recruiting class. The Longhorns already had a consensus top-10 recruiting class and are now ranked eighth by 247 Sports and ninth by On3 Sports. Atkinson joins fellow five-star prospects Dia Bell and Jermaine Bishop to lead the group.
Tyler Atkinson leads new era of Texas defense
With Texas sending another large group of standout defenders to the 2025 NFL Draft, Steve Sarkisian's defense will look much different in the fall. The Longhorns lost former stars Alfred Collins, Jahdae Barron, Andrew Mukuba, Barryn Sorrell and Vernon Broughton, who were all selected in the recent draft.
Texas is still expected to be one of the best defenses in college football in 2025. Star linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. leads the returning talent, with cornerback Malik Muhammad also viewed as one of the country's premier defensive backs. Yet, both are expected to be first-round picks in 2026, forcing Sarkisian to regroup once again next year.
While yet to start his senior year of high school, Texas already views Atkinson as one of the leaders of its 2026 defense. Unless Hill shockingly decides to return for a fourth year, Atkinson will likely lead the Longhorns' linebackers in 2026 as a freshman.
