5-star LB Tyler Atkinson chooses official visit to Texas, cancels trip to recruiting rival
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Five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson canceled his official visit to Ohio State and will instead visit the University of Texas.
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian is heavily involved in Atkinson's recruitment, competing against Clemson, Oregon, and Georgia.
Atkinson, the No. 1 linebacker and No. 8 overall player in the 2026 class, is expected to announce his decision before his senior year.
While considered a Georgia lean, Texas successfully recruited a similar five-star player, Justus Terry, from Georgia in the 2025 class.
One of the best prospects in the 2026 class has made a big decision about his recruitment. Five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson has cancelled a scheduled official visit to Ohio State and will instead take an official visit to the 40 Acres this weekend to get a closer look at the Longhorns program.
'I am taking an official visit to Texas this weekend,' Atkinson told On3. 'We have some good relationships out there, we know what Texas is about and we want to get back out there and ask a few more questions.'
Texas hosted Atkinson and his family last season for the Georgia game, so this isn't his first trip to the UT campus. It has also been reported that Atkinson trains in the Austin area, which is an interesting nugget heading into the visit.
Atkinson tells Chad Simmons of On3 that Texas coach Steve Sarkisian has personally taken the lead in his recruitment. Texas is battling Clemson, Oregon, and Georgia. Simmons reports that a decision should come before the start of his senior year.
The Loganville, GA native has been a five-star player for nearly three years and is one of the best (if not the best) defensive players in the nation. Atkinson is the No. 8 ranked player in the On3 industry composite rankings and the No. 1 linebacker in the country.
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Atkinson, who took an official visit to Georgia last weekend, is a do-it-all linebacker with almost 500 tackles in the first three years of his high school career. The 6-foot-2, 205 pound player has long been considered a Georgia Bulldogs lean.
But so was five-star Justus Terry, who the Longhorns snagged late in the 2025 recruiting cycle thanks to a better NIL package. He's also been made a big priority by the Oregon Ducks.
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