Dawn of the Dawg
Fansided

Heartbreak in Athens as Tyler Atkinson picks Longhorns over Bulldogs

After double-digit trips to Athens, Tyler Atkinson chooses to go out of state instead.
ByEricka Brockish|
Jan 1, 2020; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart yells at a referee after a penalty in the second half against the Baylor Bears at the Sugar Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-Imagn Images
Jan 1, 2020; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart yells at a referee after a penalty in the second half against the Baylor Bears at the Sugar Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-Imagn Images | Chuck Cook-Imagn Images

Well, you can't win them all, and this loss really hurts. After spending a lot of time recruiting 5-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson, the Texas Longhorns come in on the backside to scoop up the top recruit in the Class of 2026. Atkins chose Texas over Georgia, Ohio State, Oregon, and Clemson, but this was really a two-school race between Texas and Georgia.

Atkinson made his announcement on ESPN on the Pat McAfee Show with his family surrounding him. After thanking everyone in his life, Atkinson certainly still took his time announcing his pick, and finally, he announced he was committing to the Longhorns.

This hurts Georgia in more ways than one, with the fact that they lost out on a 5-star recruit, but also that Smart wasn't able to keep a Georgia kid in his hometown state. Atkinson visited Georgia more than 10 times during his recruitment and grew up less than an hour from Athens, and still chose to go out of state to Texas.

Georgia still has an elite 2026 recruiting class without Tyler Atkinson

There is no doubt that losing Atkinson in general hurts, but losing him to SEC foe and probably the biggest threat to the Bulldogs, the Texas Longhorns, hurts even more. However, even without another 5-star recruit added to their class, the Bulldogs are still looking elite for the future.

Smart has worked hard, especially in the months of June and July, to bring in 29 prospects to the Class of 2026 with at least one 5-star recruit. Quarterback Jared Curtis leads the way for this class, but according to 247Sports, Georgia has the No. 2 recruiting class in the country behind only USC. The addition of Atkinson could have potentially moved the Bulldogs to No. 1, but there is no guarantee.

Landing Atkinson only moved Texas up to No. 8 according to 247Sports, so the Bulldogs are still winning in that aspect. Smart will now just have to turn his attention to other prospects right now, maybe even a few more highly rated linebackers.

Home/Georgia Football Recruiting