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We are just 34 days from Texas football and it’s time for another breakout candidate. Today, we’ll talk about the first freshman in this series, Tyler Atkinson. The young linebacker entered Austin as the top-rated player at his position in the country and has lived up to the hype. I believe it might take a week or two, but Atkinson could put together an elite season for the Texas defense.
Atkinson, largely because of the other storylines around this team, wasn’t a major storyline throughout spring camp. The reports were that his physical ability was clear but the adjustment of speed was something that was a struggle at times. It seems since spring has ended, he’s been shining and enters spring camp with the chance to earn major snaps. The only question is: how quickly could those snaps come?
The adjustment time for linebackers is a very real thing. However, I’d bet we will see Atkinson pass rushing situations early in the season. For me, the “turning point” could be the bye week before Red River. He’ll have four games, including two against Power 4 opponents, under his belt, including a trip to Tennessee. From Red River forward, I expect Atkinson to quickly become one of the best freshman defenders in the country.
Atkinson was a tackle machine in high school. He topped 100 tackles in three of his four seasons at Grayson High School, and he racked up 91 in just 11 games his senior season. He stuffed the stat sheet all throughout high school and I expect him to do the same throughout his time at Texas. Anthony Hill Jr. racked up 67 total tackles during his freshman season. I expect Atkinson to match or surpass that number.
There are multiple freshmen that could be in this series. Jermaine Bishop Jr., Derrek Cooper and many others will factor into the equation this season. None of them, in my opinion, have the ceiling Tyler Atkinson does. I believe he can be one of the best LBs to ever wear burnt orange and it’ll start this season. It might not happen against Ohio State, but once the bye hits, Tyler Atkinson could become a household name in a hurry.
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Countdown to Kickoff: Breakout Longhorn Sunday - LB Tyler Atkinson
Continue reading...
Atkinson, largely because of the other storylines around this team, wasn’t a major storyline throughout spring camp. The reports were that his physical ability was clear but the adjustment of speed was something that was a struggle at times. It seems since spring has ended, he’s been shining and enters spring camp with the chance to earn major snaps. The only question is: how quickly could those snaps come?
The adjustment time for linebackers is a very real thing. However, I’d bet we will see Atkinson pass rushing situations early in the season. For me, the “turning point” could be the bye week before Red River. He’ll have four games, including two against Power 4 opponents, under his belt, including a trip to Tennessee. From Red River forward, I expect Atkinson to quickly become one of the best freshman defenders in the country.
Atkinson was a tackle machine in high school. He topped 100 tackles in three of his four seasons at Grayson High School, and he racked up 91 in just 11 games his senior season. He stuffed the stat sheet all throughout high school and I expect him to do the same throughout his time at Texas. Anthony Hill Jr. racked up 67 total tackles during his freshman season. I expect Atkinson to match or surpass that number.
Grayson HS Linebacker Tyler Atkinson!!!
5️ Linebacker out of Loganville, Georgia is going to be a PROBLEM in college football!@Tyler16Atkinsonpic.twitter.com/zYRKCXxwC5
— Linebackers University™ (@Linebackers_U) November 18, 2025
There are multiple freshmen that could be in this series. Jermaine Bishop Jr., Derrek Cooper and many others will factor into the equation this season. None of them, in my opinion, have the ceiling Tyler Atkinson does. I believe he can be one of the best LBs to ever wear burnt orange and it’ll start this season. It might not happen against Ohio State, but once the bye hits, Tyler Atkinson could become a household name in a hurry.
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Countdown to Kickoff: Breakout Longhorn Sunday - LB Tyler Atkinson
Continue reading...
