Kirby Smart’s Georgia Leaves Strong Impression on 5-Star Tyler Atkinson to Make Surprising Turn In 5-Team Battle

Do you remember what Paul Finebaum said about the SEC mishaps in 2024? “So he’s[Nick Saban] gone, Kirby was supposed to take the sport over. He didn’t…we probably won’t see dominance like that again the Nick Saban era in college football.” Well, Kirby Smart must have lost his goodnight’s sleep thinking of Finebaum’s projection to be true. They failed to bring in their hot target, Jackson Cantwell, who went off to Miami. However, amidst the gloom, here comes some fresh recruiting intel that surely changed Smart’s mood. Going by the buzz, Smart and Co. might have been able to woo 5-star Tyler Atkinson. But we can’t take this for granted. After all, Atkinson has five teams running after him. 

As per On3’s 2025 Industry Ranking football Team Recruiting Rankings, Smart’s program holds the No. 2 rank. They have reeled in four 5-stars, nineteen 4-stars players, and five 3-stars. Plus, Smart is carrying on his tradition on the recruiting trail, living up to his name. Georgia has got nine straight top-five classes, including four No. 1s since ’16. However, there remains one unfinished business. The Bulldogs are now gunning for the top linebacker in 2026. Atkinson had nearly 50 offers from major Power Five programs. However, from the beginning itself, Smart and Co. came off as the frontrunners in the Atkinson race. On March 10, the young chap tweeted, “I will be AtkkNup tomorrow in Athens!” From the camp, the Bulldogs have now directly landed in sharing the dinner table with Atkinson. On May 15, the linebacker tweeted, “We had a great time at dinner!”

We had a great time at dinner! #Dawgfood #AtkNup #NOW @CoachSchuUGA @Coach_TRob @KirbySmartUGA @RustyMansell_@GeorgiaFootball @DawgNation @jeffsentell @MattDeBary @grayson_fb @ChadSimmons_ @TomLoy247 @samspiegs @UGAAthletics pic.twitter.com/lrslRoFwWb

— Tyler Atkinson (@Tyler16Atkinson) May 16, 2025

The picture captured the trio posing in front of the Richard L. Tucker Building. While Atkinson posed all smiles in the middle, to his left was Georgia defensive coordinator Glenn Schuman, whereas Co-defensive coordinator Travaris Jerod Robinson was to his right. Even though Smart has been confident about landing Atkinson, Ohio State’s surprising move must have dished out a fresh serving of panic and uncertainty. After all, he had his entire crew to hit the road and ended up straight in Atkinson’s house. Are Ohio State the only ones that Smart should be keeping a safe distance from? Definitely not. As On3’s Chad Simmons shared, “Auburn, Ohio State, Oregon, and others are in the mix.” Not to forget about the Clemson Tigers, who are also running the race. 

The craze for Atkinson has been real. After all, he is projected to be the game-changer for any program he lands in. Ranked as the nation’s No. 1 LB and No. 15 overall prospect, the Grayson (GA) star has already stacked over 475 tackles, leaving his footprint in high school. His junior season was not dull either. Atkinson came up with 166 tackles, 32 TFLs, and 46 QB hurries. However, no matter how much other programs make him feel special, only Smart has gone that weapon— a legacy painted in gold.

Why Kirby Smart is all-in on Tyler Atkinson?

Talking about Smart’s power as a recruiter, there is no second doubt. After all, under him, Georgia has three Butkus winners. That’s when analyst Graham Coffey shared that Smart had not hit the ‘SETTLE’ button yet. On January 18, he tweeted, “Georgia has 3 Butkus winners under Kirby Smart… This guy has the tools to be teh 4th.” No brownie points for guessing whom he hinted at. Of course, has to be Atkinson. 

While head coaches had hit the road to visit the recruits, how could Smart just follow the crowd? Instead, he hit the air. On January 18, Smart took a helicopter to visit 2026 5-star linebacker Atkinson. And definitely, this made the young chap feel special. The Grayson five-star LB then posted a tweet, where he is spotted sitting beside Smart. The caption read, “Great time with Coach Kirby & my parents today.” Now, in case Atkinson gives his words to Georgia, will he be able to live up to the standards?

Well, the three Butkus winners are Roquan Smith, who now plays for the Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles LB Nakobe Dean, and former Georgia LB Jalon Walker, who joined the Atlanta Falcons in 2025. Coming to Kirby Smart trusting Tyler Atkinson with the flag, the young chap’s phenomenal stats do all the talking. He led to a 14-1 record, followed by an AAAAAA state championship. Standing tall at 6’2”, weighing 205 pounds, Atkinson averaged 12.8 tackles per game, posting 166 tackles. All eyes are on Atkinson—will he bless Georgia with the nod?

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