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2026 juco defensive lineman Tavion Atkinson finds the right fit at Mississippi State

Paul Jones Mississippi State Bulldogsby: Paul Jones18 hours agoPaulJonesOn3
tavion atkinson
(Photo courtesy of Tavion Atkinson via X.)

Not long after seeing Mississippi State’s program for the first time in person, Tavion Atkinson still had a good feeling about the Bulldogs. That feeling turned into his Bulldog commitment on Wednesday.

The 2026 defensive lineman and Rivals three-star prospect initially told the Mississippi State coaches of his decision earlier this week. As one of State’s long-time juco targets, the Trinity Valley (Texas) Community College standout is rated as the nation’s No. 7 juco defensive lineman by Rivals.

“It was last Thursday when I called the coaches and told them,” Atkinson recalled. “I just like the coaches and it is a lot like it is over here at Trinity Valley. They said I can come in and produce, and come in and be their guy.”

The Texas native just took an official visit to Mississippi State this past weekend and raved about that experience. It also made a good impression on his family and played a role in his college decision.

“The official visit helped a lot to tip the scales,” added Atkinson. “It helped me to see how it is out there and how the culture and coaching is. My mom, grandmom and sister went with me, too, and my mom really liked it a lot.”

Atkinson also holds other Power 4 offers from Georgia, SMU, Texas Tech, Baylor, Kentucky and Arizona while adding new Power 4 offers from Arizona State and Arkansas over the past week.

During his juco career at Trinity Valley, Atkinson has lined up at different spots along the defensive line. At the next level, he expects to be on the edge for Mississippi State per his conversations with defensive line coach David Turner.

“Coach Turner likes me at defensive end,” the 6-foot-4 and 280-pound Atkinson remarked. “They want me on the edge so it could be defensive end or outside linebacker. I like that role and it is a good fit for me in that scheme.”

Atkinson was among the first 2026 juco prospects to be offered by head coach Jeff Lebby. That offer happened not long after Lebby took over State’s program nearly two years ago and Atkinson has followed Lebby’s progress closely this season.

“I like how Coach Lebby is turning it around,” mentioned Atkinson. “It took him time to start getting everything in the place but you can see where that program is headed now. So I want to be part of that.”

Entering Saturday’s playoff game, Atkinson has totaled 45 tackles (38 solos) with 12 tackles for loss and five sacks. As a freshman last season, Atkinson collected 67 tackles (49 solos) with 11 sacks and 18 tackles for loss en route to juco All-American honors.

“We were in the first round of the playoffs (last) Saturday against NEO (Northeast Oklahoma),” explained Atkinson. “We had to go on the road, too. But it’s been a good season so far. I have been dominating but I feel like I could dominate more. I’ve definitely had to get used to more double teams this year. But I am quicker this season and my first year, it was kind of slow. But now I am quicker with everything.”

Atkinson is still in talks with SMU and Arkansas about possible official visits later this month. He is on track to graduate in December and then enroll at Mississippi State in January. At that stage, Atkinson wants to waste little time proving his worth for the Bulldogs.

“I just want to get there in January and get going,” noted Atkinson. “I want to get in there and put myself and my name on the map.”

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