Auburn got a little more national validation on Wednesday, and it came with two familiar names attached.
ESPN rolled out its top 100 players in the nation list, and the Tigers landed two spots on it: one on defense and one on offense. For a team trying to navigate a tough SEC schedule in first-year head coach Alex Golesh’s debut season, that kind of recognition matters.
The highest-rated Auburn player on the list was junior linebacker Xavier Atkins, who came in at No. 28.
If there was any doubt about whether he’d be on the board, there really shouldn’t have been. Atkins piled up nearly every preseason award and watchlist nod imaginable heading into 2026 after a breakout sophomore campaign.
ESPN’s Bill Connelly called Atkins “a revelation in his first year after transferring from LSU.” Connelly pointed to Atkins’ pressure production, his nine sacks, and the way he contributed against the run despite being listed at 6-0, 210 pounds. He also added that Atkins “picked off a pass and broke up another in coverage, too.”
The numbers behind the praise were just as loud: 84 tackles, 60 solo tackles and an Auburn-record 17 tackles for loss in his first season as a true starter. Now he enters year two with the Tigers carrying the weight of that breakout and all the expectations that come with it.
Auburn’s offensive representative was quarterback Byrum Brown, who checked in at No. 88. Brown finished second among all quarterbacks last year in total touchdowns accounted for, and ESPN highlighted the size-speed combination that makes him such a difficult player to deal with.
Connelly described Brown as “one of the bigger (6-3, 232 pounds) and faster quarterbacks (7.1 yards per carry, not including sacks) in the country,” and noted that he “mastered new Auburn coach Alex Golesh's up-tempo offensive system at South Florida last season.” He also said Brown posted “the highest Total QBR of any Group of 5 quarterback in 2025” before adding, “Now he'll attempt to bring its success to the Plains.”
Brown’s production was even more eye-opening when laid out fully: he was the only quarterback in football last season to rush for more than 1,000 yards while also throwing for more than 3,000.
Between Atkins and Brown, Auburn has proven pieces on both sides of the ball, something the Tigers did not have at this point last year. For a roster trying to establish itself quickly under Golesh, that’s a useful place to start.
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