Georgia and Clemson LB target Tyler Atkinson hints at possible commitment with a 2-word message

Five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson has dropped another hint in his recruitment process. On Tuesday, the Grayson (Lawrenceville, Georgia) prospect quoted a post by On3 Recruits on X. The post listed out the top five-star prospects of the 2026 class that are yet to announce their commitment, with Atkinson's name included.

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The top linebacker prospect then hinted at an imminent decision with two words.

“Getting closer 🏠,” Atkinson wrote.

Atkinson is a well-sought-after prospect with offers from nearly all the top programs, including Georgia, Clemson, Michigan and Alabama.

According to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine, Georgia is the leader in his recruitment with a 30.9% chance he’ll end up at Athens. Meanwhile, Clemson is next in the race, with a 10.8% chance of landing the top prospect.

The Tigers will be looking to boost their chance of signing Atkinson this weekend when they host him on an official visit. He is the star linebacker in the contingent of visiting recruits heading for Clemson this weekend. At 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, the elite linebacker is in top physical shape and is a proven game-changer at his level.

He played a major role in his school’s state title triumph last season with 166 tackles, 32 tackles for loss and 13 sacks. He received the MaxPreps National Junior of the Year honors and the Class 6A Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Where does Clemson rank in Tyler Atkinson's estimation?

Tyler Atkinson regards Clemson highly. According to On3's Hayes Fawcett, Atkinson said on May 20 that the Tigers have been high on his priority list even before he received an offer from them.

Unsurprisingly, the program is his first stop on his list of summer visits. For Clemson, it is an opportunity to overtake Georgia in the race to sign Atkinson.

Atkinson is the No. 1 linebacker nationally and the No. 7 overall prospect in the 2026 class, per the On3 Industry Ranking. For a Clemson side looking to strengthen its defence with the 2026 class, he is the perfect recruit to go after. And Dabo Swinney and his staff prioritize him.

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Meanwhile, the Tigers face close competition from another top program. With a remark that Michigan has a plan for him to check out, Atkinson has previously hinted at the Wolverines' appeal to him.

About the author

Kayode is a College and High School Sports writer at Sportskeeda since June 2023. Hailing from Nigeria, he has an undergraduate degree in Linguistics and African Languages, and has previously had stints as an entertainment and politics writer for around 7 months. Adept at creating content around historical perspectives, he strives to report stories based only on verified information. His mantra is - truth is always more important than sensationalism.

A fan of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team, Kayode admires how Nick Saban developed talent at the team and delivered consistent results, and hopes that the post-Saban era is just as fruitful. He is thoroughly impressed by Johnny Manziel’s talent, and feels that Shedeur Sanders is massively underrated. Nick Saban is his all-time favorite college coach.

While Kayode believes there is little to separate college and mainstream sports, pro leagues absorbing the best athletes leads to their quality being higher. Witnessing the Colorado Buffaloes’ hot streak at start the 2023 football season was one of his all-time favorite college sports moments.

When not writing, Kayode enjoys reading and watching sports documentaries. His most recent watch was "Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In."

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Edited by Ribin Peter