Last spring, it sure seemed like Ohio State and Ryan Day were in the driver's seat to land 5-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson, one of the top players in the country for the 2026 class. Atkinson was so high on the Buckeyes, he said the Big Ten powerhouse was his No. 1 school.
It had us all dreaming of his future in Columbus. Instead, Atkinson stunned us all when he ended up committing to Texas about two months later. What the heck? This was a serious swing and a miss for Ohio State and its recruiting team.
Things were unfortunately made worse for Ohio State on Monday morning. That's because the Longhorns kicked off spring ball and Atkinson is already stealing the show. Take a look at the photos below and you can see that the baby-faced freshman is a terrifying presence. Yup, he's going to be a problem for opposing offenses, but it stinks that he's not making this kind of early noise for Matt Patricia and Co.
This kid is going to be a problem from Day 1@Tyler16Atkinson pic.twitter.com/uXWPuOlcRI
— Evan Vieth (@EvanVieth) March 9, 2026
LB Tyler Atkinson going viral at spring ball hurts for Ohio State football fans
We're all going to be left thinking what could have been for the youngster had he signed with the Buckeyes. Indeed, it was last May when the 6-2 'backer told Marc Givler of the Buckeye Huddle that Ohio State was on top for him and other programs were behind in the race.
Why? Because of the relationships Atkinson had built with the staff. Despite that, Texas and Sark came charging and they were able to not only land his verbal pledge, but also make things official with the touted playmaker during the Early Signing Period.
Throughout his recruitment, Atkinson picked up a mind-blowing 50 offers. He signed with Texas ranked five stars and the No. 3 LB in the country per the 247Sports Composite. As soon as Atkinson picked the Longhorns, plenty of Ohio State fans voiced their displeasure with athletic director Ross Bjork, as the feeling around college football circles was that NIL played a role in Ohio State missing out. Now, Atkinson looking like a force in Austin has somehow made things worse.