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Texas Insider Names 5-Star Longhorns Have 'Mountain' to Climb With

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Grant Bricker | Last updated Jun 22, 2025 3:54 PM ET

The Texas Longhorns have one five-star commit from the 2026 class, and are trying to make it two after this weekend's official visit.

Quarterback Dia Bell is the prized jewel of Steve Sarkisian's class and the head coach is attempting to lure five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson to Austin as well.

However, on a recent episode of On3's "The Inside Scoop," Texas recruiting insider Justin Wells revealed that there is a "mountain" for the Longhorns to climb when it comes to Atkinson.

Wells mentioned how the Georgia Bulldogs, Ohio State Buckeyes and Oregon Ducks have also been keeping tabs on Atkinson.

"We know that Georgia has been out front," Wells said. "We know how good they look there. We know Ohio State's been in the mix. They have his attention. Oregon. Oregon's another school that he's high up on. Texas has a mountain to climb here, because again, they were kinda reviving this recruitment, trying to get back into it."

Atkinson is the No. 8 overall prospect, No. 1 linebacker and No. 1 recruit from Georgia in the On3 Industry Rankings for the 2026 class.

He was one of the many top prospects in Austin on Friday for an official visit. The Longhorns brought up multiple Lamborghinis to DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium to impress the recruits.

The On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine tabs Georgia as the favorite, giving the Bulldogs a 32.8% chance to land Atkinson. Texas has a 5.2% chance of landing him at the moment.

Despite Texas having Bell, four-star athlete Jermaine Bishop Jr., and four-star defensive lineman Vodney Cleveland in its 2026 class, the Longhorns have the fifth-best class in the cycle in the SEC via On3 Sports.

Adding Atkinson to the mix would definitely improve the Longhorns' standing.

Texas opens the 2025 season against Ohio State on August 30 at Noon ET on Fox.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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