Texas and coach Steve Sarkisian are preparing for what they hope is going to be a run to the national championship this season. However, in college football, teams have to also think multiple years in advance in order to make sure they can be a contender each and every year.
Very few schools do that better than Texas, and the Longhorns showed that on Tuesday as they got a commitment from 5-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson.
Atkinson made the announcement on the Pat McAfee Show on ESPN. He chose Texas over Georgia, Clemson and Oregon.
This is a big get for the Longhorns, as the Georgia native is one of the very best players in the country. According to the 247Sports Composite Rankings, Atkinson is the No. 1 player in the state of Georgia, as well as the No. 1 linebacker in the country. He is the No. 9 overall player in the class, and gives the Longhorns a guy who could be a leader on the defense in the future.
He is the third highest linebacker to ever commit to Texas, with only Sergio Kindle and Jordan Hicks being ranked higher.
Texas now has the No. 8 recruiting class in the 2026 class, and the fifth best in the SEC behind Georgia, Texas A&M, Alabama and LSU.
