Oregon Ducks, Dan Lanning Prioritizing 5-Star Recruit Tyler Atkinson

On3's Steve Wiltfong also caught up with Atkinson after the visit, and the elite linebacker noticed how much time Lanning spent with Atkinson and his family.and revealed his impressions of his visit to Oregon and the Ducks' coaching staff:

“What makes Oregon a great place is the staff. They’re a defensive staff. You have Coach Lanning a defensive head coach. You have Coach Tosh he’s been a defensive coordinator in the league and in college. Coach B-Mike has been a linebacker coach for quite some time. The staff they got makes Oregon a great place and they just want to win," Atkinson told On3.

Atkinson also spoke about the Ducks' goals of winning a national title, and he complimented the culture that Lanning and company have built in Eugene.

When Lanning has been asked about his recruiting strategy in the past, the Ducks coach emphasized the importance of relationships, and it appears as though Lanning is taking the same approach with Atkinson.

“I think any time in recruiting, it's about relationships, and it's about time, time invested, right? And certainly, when you start getting some guys from certain areas that have connections with each other, a lot of those guys want to be able to play together and see what you're building. So, if we can continue to do a good job of adding those ones together, whether it's identification, whether it's the relationship, whether it's getting on campus, campus, like, all those things add up and equate to wins and recruiting.”  

Oregon had a number of high-profile recruits on campus over the weekend, including Atkinson, five-star safety Jett Washington, and five-star athlete Brandon Arrington. Hosting all of these recruits at the same time might feel crowded, but it seems like Lanning was able to make Atkinson feel like a priority.

Will it be enough for the Ducks to land a commitment from Atkinson?

Ranked as the No. 1 linebacker and No. 1 prospect from the state of Georgia in the class of 2026 by 247Sports' Composite Rankings, Atkinson is being heavily recruited by Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart as well as the Ohio State Buckeyes and coach Ryan Day.