Ohio State Continues to Have the Attention of Five-Star Defender

Ohio State hosted a strong group of visitors on Tuesday as the Buckeyes returned from spring break and hit the practice field. One of the biggest names in attendance was five-star Loganville (Ga.) Grayson linebacker Tyler Atkinson. The Buckeyes once again impressed the big-time talent on his return trip to Columbus.

“The visit was great,” Atkinson told BuckeyeHuddle.com. “They really practice hard at OSU. It was really good to spend some one on one time with all the coaches. The campus and Columbus itself had really good energy. I am looking forward to getting back this summer and in the fall for a game or two.”

Atkinson has been on the recruiting radar since he started picking up offers before his freshman year of high school. The Buckeyes were one of those schools after working him out at camp going into his freshman year at Grayson.

When Atkinson camped, it was as a defensive end, where he was mostly projected at that point in his development. He has since moved back to linebacker where he was one of the best in the country as a sophomore.

Questions remain about where he will be best deployed at the college level but Ohio State is splitting the difference and simply recruiting him as a defensive weapon.

“They see me as a three or four down player,” Atkinson explained. “They are amped about my versatility. I spent a lot of time in practice with coach Laurinaitis and coach Johnson.”

While much of Atkinson’s early relationship-building with Ohio State was with defensive line coach Larry Johnson, linebackers coach James Laurinaitis has also become very involved in his recruitment.

“Coach Laurinaitis is a really good coach,” Atkinson shared. “He is high energy and can relate to his players very well. We are really building a good relationship.”

With a national offer list and plenty of time until his class signs, it’s fair to say that Atkinson’s recruitment is still pretty wide open. But it’s also fair to say that Ohio State is one of the schools that has made a big impression on the talented defender with multiple return visits likely over the next eight months.

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