Loganville, Georgia five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson announced his final four Wednesday, a list that includes Georgia, Clemson, Texas and Oregon.
He's the No. 22 prospect in the 2026 class and No. 1 linebacker with over 40 offers, so in the recruiting world, making his top group is a big deal. He's expected to announce before his senior season begins, though no date has been set.
Atkinson appears worth the hype. He has the elite body type at 6-2, 210 and on film the Grayson Rams star is downhill at full speed, crashing down on quarterbacks and running backs with abandon, a coiled spring of tenacity and exceptional football IQ.
At Georgia the scouts like Jeff Sentell of Dawg Nation compare him to Roquan Smith, the 2017 Unanimous All-American, Butkus Award winner and SEC Defensive Player of the Year, drafted No. 8 in the first round by the Chicago Bears.
Atkinson is the key to having a No. 1 recruiting class, one of Dan Lanning's stated goals since arriving at Oregon, an aim so strong that he once had it written on his bathroom mirror with a dry erase marker.
The thing is, they want Atkinson just as bad at Clemson, Texas and Georgia. And he's visited the campus at Athens 16 times. He's tight with Bulldog defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann. He's even worked out with Smith and other former Georgia greats like Quay Walker and Jalon Walker.
Atkinson told Sentell, “They have a great coaching staff and the players, and they just, they just want to win,” Atkinson said. “That’s just what they have got.”
This is not one of those decisions that's likely to come down to opening the checkbook. Interviewed by Lawrence Fernandez of On3Sports Atkinson said, “But if you get the mindset when you get all this money and you start investing into it and just put on to the side and stay focused and stay locked in, the real money is when you get in the NFL.”
🚨NEWS🚨 No. 1 LB Tyler Atkinson is down to 4️⃣ schools, @ChadSimmons_ reports.
— Rivals (@Rivals) July 9, 2025
Read: https://t.co/yjCNUKIj5v pic.twitter.com/FQscrtCJpq
Prying him out of Georgia and the school 37 miles from home feels like the remotest of possibilities. In the last four NFL drafts, the Dawgs have had 13 players taken in the first round, 10 on defense.
Atkinson led the Rams to the Georgia AAAAAA State Championship last season, piling up 162 tackles and 32 tackles for loss, 13 sacks. It's absurd to think Kirby Smart would allow himself to lose this one. Five-star linebackers occasionally bust out, but that's a remote possibility with this one given his work ethic.
Still, after his Oregon visit on June 6 he told Steve Wiltfong,
“Oregon was everything I imagined it would be. It was just like the coaches had described. Coach Lanning and the entire staff showed me exactly how much they wanted me to be a part of their program and team. … The way Oregon embraced and supported my personal brand, ‘AtkNup’ is next level. They definitely have a plan!”
Honestly, though, if he didn't choose Georgia it'd be the biggest recruiting shock since De'Anthony Thomas.