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Anthony Hill on Tyler Atkinson: "He's going to be a great football player for us"

On3 imageby: Justin Wells07/17/25
Anthony Hill Jr
Anthony Hill Jr. (Will Gallagher/Inside Texas)

Texas junior linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. spoke to the media at the SEC Media Days in Atlanta. One of the subjects was new Texas commit and five-star Tyler Atkinson, the No. 1 LB in the class of 2026.

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Hill Jr. had a unique position in that he was able to talk about Atkinson. His head coach in Steve Sarkisian, who was available to local media moments after Atkinson committed on the Pat McAfee Show, was not able to do the same because of NCAA restrictions.

Because he had worked with Atkinson, Hill Jr. saw a lot of quality traits in a fellow ‘backer.

“He is going to be a great football player for us,” Hill Jr. said. “I’ve seen him. I’ve been working out with him. I’ve been around him. I know what type of guy he is. He’s going to be a great football player.”

Before Atkinson committed to Texas, he hung out in Austin in June. Not only did he see players like Trey Moore and Hill Jr., he trained with legendary Longhorn Derrick Johnson. Hill spoke about some of the drills and habits Johnson attempts to form in his pupils when working with them.

“He applies real life situations into drills,” said Hill Jr. “It’s really good working with him and knowing that you’re working with a guy who had been in the league for 15 years. It’s been really cool working with a guy that’s with us every day and was an elite level pro.”

Atkinson is ranked as the No. 9 overall prospect in the Rivals Industry Ranking. Hill Jr. was ranked as the No. 16 prospect in the 2023 Rivals Industry Ranking. Both were obviously highly rated, but Hill Jr. hails from Texas while Atkinson is from Grayson High School in Georgia.

Texas not only works to grab the best from in-state, but from elsewhere these days, too. Sarkisian and company have now expanded their footprint diabolically in the SEC region, including Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida. Plus, Georgia has been particularly fruitful for the Longhorns. In 2025, Texas signed Justus Terry along with several others. In 2026, the Longhorns now have a commitment from Atkinson and kicker Jake Collett.

“We do definitely try to recruit the high-level players that fit our scheme that are made of the right stuff not only as football players, but as people,” Sarkisian said. “So far, so good. Like I said, we recruited Florida, we recruited in Georgia, we’re recruiting Alabama, we’re recruiting Louisiana, and it’s been good to us.”

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Atkinson has all the traits to become the next great linebacker at Texas. With Hill Jr. able to see what Atkinson can offer, it makes sense he believes Atkinson can put it all together.

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