Oregon Ducks Battling SEC Powerhouses For Five-Star Recruit Tyler Atkinson

Oregon is battling Clemson, Georgia, and Texas for the five-star recruit Atkinson revealed in a social media post.

Chad Simmons of Rivals said that although Georgia is leading for the in-state native, the Ducks haven't showed any signs of their interest waning.

“Georgia has been viewed as the favorite with Atkinson,” Simmons said. “The Longhorns are pushing hard, though. He’s done training in Texas this summer and has also trained with Georgia players, too. Texas, Oregon and Clemson will all have to go through UGA for the top-ranked linebacker, but it remains a tight race as a decision starts to near.”

The No. 1 linebacker and No. 9 player in the country according to 247Sports Composite rankings, Atkinson visited Oregon on June 6. Since then, the Ducks have only ramped up their pursuit of the highly-touted prospect.

Andrew Ivins of 247Sports said that Atkinson could become the face of a defense at the next level with his elite athleticism.

"Highly-productive inside linebacker that can emerge as the soul of a defense with his instincts and athleticism. Quick to locate the football with his field awareness and will mirror ball carries with his rare start-stop ability and exceptional lateral burst. Could fit into a variety of different schemes at the next level and will likely offer three-down value given how he moves and strikes," Ivins said.

The Ducks face a tough path as they attempt to make the cross-country pickup. Atkinson has Crystal Ball prediction from Tom Loy of 247Sports in favor of Georgia. On3's Recruiting Prediction Machine gives the Bulldogs a 32.8 percent chance of landing Atkinson.

The Ducks' two five-star commits, offensive lineman Immanuel Iheanacho and safety Jett Washington, are two of the more recent pledges in their 2026 recruiting class.

In a similar recruitment to Atkinson, the Ducks had to travel across the country to land their highest rated offensive recruit in Iheanacho, who is a Maryland native. Iheanacho is the No. 22 player in the country and No. 2 interior offensive lineman in the recruiting cycle. He was the second five-star to commit to the program, committing earlier this month.

Five-star safety Jett Washington, a Nevada native, was the first five-star to commit to the Ducks. He is ranked as the No. 2 safety and No. 18 player in the country according to 247Sports rankings.