The USC Trojans just recently lost the commitment of 5-star linebacker Xavier Griffin. He immediately picked up predictions to land in SEC country at Alabama. Since then, USC has set there sights on other prospects and one of those is another 5-star linebacker, Tyler Atkinson.
While Xavier Griffin was the No. 1 ranked LB on sites such as 247 Sports, in terms of composite rankings, which combines 247 Sports, On3, Rivals, and ESPN, Tyler Atkinson is the consensus No. 1 linebacker. He is also a Top 10 overall player in the entire nation.
While Griffin was committed, Atkinson was never a priority, but that has obviously shifted due to recent events, and it appears that the top linebacker out of Georgia is taking notice.
Yesterday, the 5-star LB sent a post on X.com that teased, at the very least, a new budding relationship with the USC Trojans.
🔥We just warming up🔥#AtkNup #NOW #Offseason@grayson_fb @ChadSimmons_@samspiegs @TomLoy247 @jeffsentell @flowlikerob @Coach_Henny @uscfb @USC_Rivals pic.twitter.com/VZO9iTHoFh
— Tyler Atkinson (@Tyler16Atkinson) May 27, 2025
Tyler Atkinson Sends Positive USC Trojans Post
In the post where Atkinson is working out with other players, he tags USC coaches Rob Ryan and Eric Henderson with the caption, “🔥We Just Warming Up🔥.”
USC Trojans top 2026 commit recruiter Brandon Lockhart immediately commented underneath, “Let’s Work!!! ✌️”
As of now, Atkinson does not have an official visit scheduled with USC, but even if this is just a cryptic post, it is still encouraging that the two sides are clearly in communication. He did make it out to Los Angeles for an unofficial visit on April 4th.
More News: Another 5-Star Prospect Locks In Official Visit With USC Trojans
As it stands, Atkinson only has one official visit lined up, and that is with Clemson this weekend. He has been favored by most of the experts to commit to his hometown school, Georgia, but the Trojans being in the race can certainly change things.
Reading into social media posts is usually a waste of time, but this certainly sends a message, and I think it is safe to say that the Trojans will try to get Atkinson locked in for an official visit at the very least.
Losing Griffin for Atkinson would certainly be a wild recruiting shift.
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