Ducks make major move for nation's No. 1 linebacker: 'Oregon has definitely increased my interest'

Andrew Nemec | Mar 18, 2025

Five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson with Oregon coach Dan Lanning / Courtesy of Tyler Atkinson

The Oregon Ducks hosted many of their top targets in the 2026 recruiting cycle over the past week.

And the early reports are glowing.

Grayson (Georgia) five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson, the nation's No. 7 overall prospect, headed to Eugene eager to see if Oregon matched his vision.

After the trip, it's safe to say they raised the bar for the nation's No. 1 linebacker.

"Oregon has definitely increased my interest, for sure," he said. "They definitely have a plan! The way they have showed how they believe me and support my brand, 'AtkNup,' really stood out over the weekend."

In fact, Dan Lanning's program checked all of the boxes.

"Oregon was everything I imagined it would be," Atkinson said. "It was just like the coaches had described. Coach Lanning and the entire staff showed me exactly how much they wanted me to be a part of their program and team."

In truth, it may prove difficult to lure an elite defensive prospect out of his home state of Georgia when Kirby Smart's Bulldogs have made him a priority.

Georgia is expected to produce a trio of NFL first-round picks this cycle - edge-rusher Mykel Williams, linebacker Jalon Walker and safety Malaki Starks - and has been a known NFL factory on defense under Smart.

But Oregon is clearly willing to go all-out to try to make it happen.

And for good reason.

Here's what 247Sports had to say about Atkinson as a prospect:

"Highly-productive inside linebacker that can emerge as the soul of a defense with his instincts and athleticism. Owns more of a streamlined build at this stage, but is blessed with a longer frame and should have no issues eventually carrying 225 pounds or more. Quick to locate the football with his field awareness and will mirror ball carries with his rare start-stop ability and exceptional lateral burst. Has proven to be rather effective on the blitz as he will slip and dip around blockers before geting to the quarterback. Not one that has been asked to man-up a ton in coverage, but is comfortable dropping back into space and shading passing lanes. Must keep improving play strength and get better at attacking college-sized linemen, but should be viewed as a playmaking second-level defender that can rack up stops all over the field like he has been doing since he was a freshman for one of the Peach State’s top programs. Could fit into a variety of different schemes at the next level and will likely offer three-down value given how he moves and strikes."

After signing back-to-back top-5 recruiting classes nationally in the past two cycles, Oregon has the nation's No. 3 recruiting class - and could continue to climb.

The Ducks are a serious contender for a pair of five-star quarterback, Jared Curtis and Ryder Lyons, and while a commitment from one would likely eliminate the other it would give Oregon a major boost.

On the defensive side of things, they don't get much bigger than Atkinson - and Oregon just increased its chances.

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Prediction: Oregon Ducks in position to land nation's No. 1 athlete

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