Saturday was the first Auburn game of the season for Tyler Atkinson.

It won't be his last.

The five-star linebacker from Grayson High School in Loganville, Ga., was on Auburn's campus for the first time since Big Cat Weekend, as the top player in Georgia took in the Tigers' game against New Mexico.

"It was very good. Defense did pretty good," Atkinson said. "They started out pretty slow, but they came back, they bounced back, linebackers did well. Offense came putting out a redshirt freshman. He came and did his job so that was good for Auburn."

Auburn won the game 45-19, as the defense adjusted well at halftime and gave up just six second-half points to the Lobos. Atkinson kept a close eye on the linebackers, knowing that next season will have a different lineup for Auburn.

"It’s very good, it’s decent," Atkinson said. "Coach (DJ) Durkin, he’s very good at what he does. He got all those senior linebackers, so he’s gonna have a new class coming in next year. They’re gonna need more depth, so that’s about."

There's still a rather long way to go in his recruitment, as the No. 9 player overall player in the 2026 class continues to explore programs. He was in Atlanta for the game between Georgia and Clemson a couple weeks ago, with plans to hit up Tuscaloosa for Alabama's game against Georgia on Sept. 28, before heading to Austin Oct. 19 for Texas versus Georgia.

"I’ll definitely be back soon," Atkinson said. "I don’t have a date for when I’ll be back, but I’ll definitely be back for another game."

Where does Auburn stand at this point in his recruitment?

"I’ve got a lot of love for Auburn, they stand very high," Atkinson said. "Coach (Hugh) Freeze and Coach Durkin, they’re very good."