The biggest programs of college football are giving their all to win the pledge of Tyler Atkinson. The No. 1 LB in the 2026 class, Atkinson has wrapped up June’s slate of OVs, and he still hasn’t given fans a clear indication of where he’s going. It’s battle royale once again in college football recruiting. Atkinson is an elite player, as was proved in a major announcement he made yesterday. It has fans speculating about all the possible places he could go!

Tyler Atkinson has got the numbers to justify why he’s a 5-star LB. In his three years of high school football, he hauled in 475 tackles (79 TFLs) and 31.5 sacks. The Georgia native’s videogame numbers make him the top favorite among the Bulldogs. But Clemson, Oregon, and Texas are also in his line of favorites. Atkinson, being the top-rated prospect that he is, sent out a bold statement to his recruiters. He’s a player worth a hefty paycheck, which is now official via his latest partnership.

Atkinson signed a continuation of his NIL agreement with Adidas, which has been running since 2024. Back then, he got into that partnership to help his teammates get new playing shoes before the season. Seeing how Atkinson is impacting football at such a young age, Adidas, the sporting giant worth 14.5 billion, will keep him on for a longer time. Prior to the announcement, Atkinson’s NIL valuation was $389,000, per On3. “I’m blessed to continue #AtkNup with #Adidas.” Atkinson wrote.

Atkinson can go to any of his 4 top schools at the moment. They’re all big-time NIL spenders, and getting Atkinson with this shining NIL deal backing him will be a bonus. Georgia has been leading the show from pretty early on, but the star LB is truly giving each program a fair shot. The comments under the post, however, are rife with people predicting and debating where he would end up with the support of Adidas.

Fans wait anxiously for Tyler Atkinson’s commitment

Clemson, Georgia, Texas, Oregon: all of them want Atkinson, and are putting a lot of effort into winning his commitment. Fans of each of these programs are excited for him to join their teams. A Clemson page shared a GIF of a Tiger mascot jumping with the Clemson crowd, and wrote on top, “Can’t wait to get that Tyler Atkinson gear in the orange and purple.” Another threw shade at Atkinson for cancelling his OV to Ohio State. They retweeted a post about Adidas also signing 5-star WR Chris Henry Jr.

Dog, duck, tiger, and the ‘🤘’ emojis all filled the comments. One fan, however, was in the mood to poke fun. “Can a player even sign with Oregon with an Adidas contract? Serious question. Good for him, though,” they wrote. Oregon is under Nike’s shadow, which supplies the program with an unlimited NIL fund. Another thought, maybe Atkinson isn’t even considering going to his favorites, because of the Adidas association. “Where he going, Nebraska? Or Iowa? Who wears Adidas?” wrote the fan.

Another invited him over to Texas. “Come on home, young man! Build that NIL in Austin! ”” suggested a Texan fan. Texas is projected to be the program that can win the title, and is expected to emerge as the highest NIL spending program. The Longhorns and Steve Sarkisian can make a roster worth $22.5 million for the next batch of recruits. According to On3, Texas sits at the 13th position in the 2026 class.

Is Georgia still enjoying influence on the recruiting process? But Atkinson could very well go to either of the other programs. Oregon, Clemson, or Texas could also very much be able to land the star LB. Which fan group in his comments will ultimately have their hands on the prize?