New NIL deal is a game changer for Georgia’s pursuit of No. 1 LB

The No. 1 linebacker in the country I has caught the eye of Adidas.
Tyler Atkinson visits OSU the day of the Ohio State Buckeyes' 38-15 win over the Indiana Hoosiers in an NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024.
Tyler Atkinson visits OSU the day of the Ohio State Buckeyes' 38-15 win over the Indiana Hoosiers in an NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. | Lori Schmidt / Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tyler Atkinson is the No. 1 linebacker in the 2026 recruiting class and is a top target for Georgia. Atkinson is yet to announce a commitment date yet, but the expectation is that he could share that news sometime this next month.

So while the college football world waits for that announcement, Atkinson recently shared some big personal news involving a new NIL deal.

Tyler Atkinson’s Adidas NIL deal changes the game

It isn’t very common for high school athletes to sign NIL deals, but certain brands will strike deals with the top players in the country. Apparently Atkinson fits that description because he was one of six top high school recruits that have signed a deal with Adidas.

While this is an amazing accomplishment for him and his family, this could be an interesting development for Georgia in their pursuit of him. Atkinson now will likely only wear Adidas gear for the time being because of this NIL deal, but Georgia wears Nike gear for all of their sports. So could this new NIL deal impact Georgia’s chances?

Thankfully this deal likely won’t impact Atkinson’s recruitment in any way because all five of his finalists are Nike schools. This includes Oregon, Clemson, Texas, Ohio State and Georgia who all wear Nike gear every game.

There’s a chance this deal with Adidas will only last during the rest of his high school career, but it could bleed into his time at Georgia or any other school he commits to. Atkinson could still wear Adidas gear in his personal life and make appearances for the brand while still wearing Nike gear during game days. This is something Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith currently does, so that likely would be allowed at Georgia as well.

It’s a good sign that this deal won’t impact Georgia’s chances of landing Atkinson because they’ve been the leader for a few months now. So hopefully Atkinson announces his commitment soon, because Georgia fans would love nothing more than to add another five-star recruit to their recruiting class.