Georgia and Kirby Smart may be dominating the 2026 recruiting cycle, but they can’t have all the elite prospects in their class. Despite having some very compelling figures in his 2026 class, like Jared Curtis, Kaiden Prothro, and James Johnson, and even sitting at the top of the recruiting class, according to On3. All that glitz failed to land a key target from his state, who picked another SEC program instead of the Bulldogs. The No. 1 LB of the 2026 class, Tyler Atkinson, is headed to a program that also rules the south.

Atkinson gave Georgia a miss and chose Texas as his collegiate football home. This is after a close fight ensued between Georgia, Clemson, and Oregon for the 5-star prospect, who tended to change the defense single-handedly. Fortunately for Steve Sarkisian, the Longhorns defense will be able to witness that. Atkinson appeared on The Pat McAfee Show to announce his recruitment and explained why it was Texas that was ‘it’ for him.

“What really drove me to go to Texas is the coaches, the relationship piece, the atmosphere. I feel like it encompasses everything I want at Texas. The way they’re going to have me playing is the best fit,” he told McAfee. Atkinson’s commitment alone put Texas in the Top 10 group, which will now have 3 5-star recruits. Atkinson will be joining Dia Bell and Richard Wesley. Texas was his last official visit on the calendar, and Steve Sarkisian was able to make a lasting impression.

Atkinson was sensational in his prep career at Grayson High. He has 475 total tackles and 31.5 sacks. And, he led his team to the Georgia 6A state championship last year. Tyler Atkinson’s commitment was much-needed for Texas, who can now hope to climb their way further up the ladder in the 2026 class. Alarms were sounded in Knoxville when 9 prospects took back their pledges in just one week. And, Felix Ojo, one of Texas’ top targets, picked Texas Tech for a  $5.1 million package.

The month of June ended up being a mixed bag for Steve Sarkisian. A major recruiting campaign was expected to land a lot of star recruits. Instead, he lost some. Now, with the commitment of Tyler Atkinson, Sarkisian can heave a sigh of relief. An insider revealed in the past how dedicated Sarkisian was in getting Atkinson to pick Texas over Georgia.

Georgia lost Tyler Atkinson despite offering him early

Everything was in place for Tyler Atkinson to choose Georgia as his CFB home. He was the No. 1 prospect out of the state, and the Bulldogs made it to his final list of favorites. But then, crystal ball predictions said Atkinson was going to Texas. Insider Justin Wells said in a July 13 episode of Rivals’ The Inside Scoop, “Enter Steve Sarkisian. He has taken over this recruitment completely. He is the primary guy when it comes to Tyler Atkinson.” And 2 days later, he now has a Longhorns cap adorning his head.

“I think Kirby Smart and those guys, I believe they offered him in eighth grade. They [had] the longest relationship. They have built the best bond there. But at the end of the day, I think Texas showed Tyler what could happen if he didn’t go to Georgia. He’s big on his brand power.” Wells added. Atkinson’s commitment will be reminiscent of a similar storyline that came in the 2025 cycle. Steve Sarkisian successfully pulled Justus Terry out of Kirby Smart’s clutches. He will debut this season as one of their most impactful players.

Tyler Atkinson picking Texas is going to change things at Knoxville. Maybe with the same speed that those 9 commits left, more will arrive at Texas, following the path that the star LB took. This time, it’s unfortunately Kirby Smart who will be on the losing end.