Tyler Atkinson named Gatorade Georgia Football Player of the Year
Texas is getting one of the Peach State’s best. 2026 Loganville (Ga.) Grayson linebacker and Longhorns signee Tyler Atkinson was named the Georgia Football Player of the Year, Gatorade announced Friday.
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Atkinson is ranked as the No. 19 overall prospect, the No. 1 linebacker, and the No. 2 player in Georgia in the Rivals Industry Ranking. Rivals ranks Atkinson as the No. 47 overall prospect, the No. 2 linebacker, and the No. 2 player in Georgia.
“I thought we hit a home run at the linebacker position,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said Wednesday. “Obviously, Tyler Atkinson is a fantastic football player for us.”
According to the release, Atkinson logged 96 tackles with 26 for loss, nine sacks, and 22 quarterback hurries.
Atkinson is a significant figure in his community, having recently been awarded a key to the city of Grayson.
According to the Gatorade press release Atkinson has volunteered locally as the host of youth football clinics in conjunction with the National Concussion Institute and Northside Hospital. He has also donated his time as an usher and youth mentor at his church.
“Tyler is a generational type of player,” said Dante Williams, head coach of Archer High School, a team on Grayson’s schedule. “I was the offensive coordinator at Collins Hill from 2019-2021 and lucky enough to coach Travis Hunter, so I think I have an idea of what generational talent looks like. Tyler is it.”
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Atkinson has maintained a weighted 3.48 GPA in the classroom.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one state winner from each of the 50 states and Washington D.C., in 12 different sports: football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, baseball, softball, boys and girls soccer, and boys and girls track & field. In total, 610 high school athletes are honored each year.
From the pool of state winners, one national winner is selected in each of the 12 sports. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the winners in each sport.
As part of Gatorade’s commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every Player of the Year also receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner. To date, the Gatorade Player of the Year program has provided more than $6.4 million in grants to winners across more than 2,200 organizations.
To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow us on social media on Instagram at instagram.com/Gatorade, Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY and X(Twitter) at x.com/Gatorade.
