When it comes to linebacker royalty, Georgia’s been rocking the crown for a minute. The Bulldogs have been in the driver’s seat for the No. 1 linebacker in the 2026 class—Tyler Atkinson out of Loganville. Homegrown kid. Kirby’s boy. Atkinson himself said it best—“Coach Smart is a great coach. I’ve been around coach Kirby, and he loves what I can do on the field. I have a good relationship with him. They treat me well up there, and they keep giving me reasons to go back. It’s all love for Georgia.” Kirby Smart even touched down in a helicopter like he’s Nick Fury assembling the Avengers. Bulldogs DC Glenn Schumann coached up three Butkus winners. On paper? This should be a done deal, right? Wrong.

Out of nowhere, one Big Ten juggernaut just kicked the door down and made this whole thing real messy. If you thought Georgia had this locked? Yeah, you might want to check the rearview. Because Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes just flipped the whole GPS on this one.

On May 12, On3’s Steve Wiltfong hit the ‘ Wiltfong Whiparound’ podcast with a spicy update: “Ohio State is very real in this one. They sent several coaches to his house on Saturday…I think Ohio State’s in a really good position for Tyer Atkinson. I think Oregon’s a school of intrigue there. You got Miami in the mix, just to name a couple others…Ohio State is the program alongside Georgia that I am really watching right now, moving forward for the number one linebacker in the land.” The Buckeyes sent the entire damn defense to Atkinson’s front porch—Matt Patricia, Tim Walton, James Laurinaitis. Former pros, Buckeye legends, straight NFL minds. They didn’t come for sweet tea—they came to shake this whole recruitment tree.

And apparently, it worked. Just three days before Newberg dropped that intel, Atkinson tweeted a photo with all three Buckeye coaches. “I had a great evening #AtkNup with the #Buckeyes defensive staff 💯🌰.” And that is no generic thank-you post. Tyler Atkinson looked hyped. Like, for real hyped. That Georgia lean? It’s wobbling now. Word around Loganville is Ohio State just made this a two-horse race, and the momentum is shifting north.

Ohio State defense was filthy last season—top three in almost every metric that matters. And now they’ve brought in Matt Patricia, a big-brain NFL OC who once led the Patriots defense (and the offense, if you remember). Add in Laurinaitis, a Buckeye legend who actually played the position, and you’ve got a linebacker dream team. That’s the kind of setup that makes a five-star stop and think twice—even if he’s got Bulldog blood.

Kirby’s still in it, no doubt. Atkinson’s about to start official visits, and he’s got Clemson, Bama, Auburn, Miami, and Oregon still trying to squeeze into the frame. But right now, if there’s a program that’s really making Georgia sweat? It’s the boys in Columbus.

Tyler Atkinson’s scouting and the Buckeye fit check

BuckeyeHuddle caught up with him during a visit, and he broke it down. “It was good to see the linebackers… good to learn more from coach James Laurinaitis,” he said. He was first offered by Larry Johnson, but it’s Laurinaitis who’s taken over. “Coach Laurinaitis has played the position… He’s a coach and he’s a good person at the same time, so I can talk to him and have conversations with him,” Atkinson said. That’s chemistry. Real talk. You don’t get that unless there’s mutual respect.

Atkinson was on campus for the Spring Game, soaking in the atmosphere and checking out how the young linebackers are coming up. Even got time with Ryan Day. “He was trying to see where they were at on the board,” Atkinson said. Translation: Ohio State is putting him near the top of the wishlist—and he knows it.

247Sports’ Andrew Ivins sees it too. “Highly-productive inside linebacker that can emerge as the soul of a defense with his instincts and athleticism. Owns more of a streamlined build at this stage, but is blessed with a longer frame and should have no issues eventually carrying 225 pounds or more,” Ivins said. That’s Roquan Smith vibes. And for a program like Ohio State that’s already got commits like Simeon Caldwell and is pushing for Cincere Johnson, adding Atkinson would make this class downright unfair.

He fits what they do—instinctive, physical, leadership-first. And he plays at Grayson, one of Georgia’s best high school programs. That’s SEC-caliber grooming. If Day, Patricia, and Laurinaitis can bring that southern flavor up north? This defense is going to be terrifying.