Auburn has a real one in Xavier Atkins, and Pro Football Focus still managed to leave him out of its top 50 players heading into 2026.
That’s a head-scratcher, because Atkins didn’t just put together a good 2025 season - he was Auburn’s defensive MVP and had a strong argument to be the team’s overall MVP, too. PFF’s own numbers back up the case. Atkins posted a 91.7 rating in 2025, the best mark among linebackers, yet he somehow didn’t crack the list.
The omission stands out even more when you look at the linebackers PFF did include. Three made the top 10, and all three had 2025 grades below Atkins’ 91.7. The highest-ranked linebacker on the board was Notre Dame’s Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, who earned an 89.7 grade in 2025.
Viliamu-Asa put up 48 tackles, 35 solo tackles, a sack, an interception and a fumble return for the Irish. Solid production, no doubt.
But Atkins’ numbers were on another level: 84 tackles, 60 solo tackles, nine sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble return and an interception. And he did it in the SEC.
Texas Tech’s Austin Romaine also landed on the list after a 2025 season with Kansas State that included 66 total tackles, 41 solo tackles, 0.5 sacks and an interception, along with a 76.5 grade. PFF appears to be banking heavily on his ability to replace Jacob Rodriguez’s production, which likely helped push him onto the list.
Texas linebacker Rasheem Biles rounded out the group with an 83.7 2025 grade. He finished the season with 100 tackles, 39 solo tackles, 4.5 sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles. Of the linebackers included, Biles is the one who comes closest to making a real case over Atkins.
Still, none of that explains why Atkins was left off completely. The Tigers linebacker is coming off his first season with full starting duties, and there’s every reason to think he’s just getting started. Now that he’s settled in at Auburn, he looks positioned for an even bigger junior year.
That should give Atkins plenty of fuel as he heads into a 2026 season that could go a long way toward shaping his NFL future. If he comes anywhere close to what he produced in 2025, it won’t be long before he’s back on these kinds of lists.
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