Xavier Atkins keeps finding his way into the NFL Draft conversation, and Sunday’s film against Florida gave ESPN’s Mel Kiper plenty to like.
Auburn’s defense had a rough afternoon as a group, but Atkins still flashed the kind of traits that make scouts lean in. The junior linebacker was active all over the field, and Kiper said Auburn is using him in ways that highlight just how much ground he can cover.
“Auburn has used linebacker Xavier Atkins both off the edge and off the ball, and he just keeps making plays, with nine tackles, a sack and two tackles for loss against Florida,” Kiper said. “At 6-foot and 210 pounds, he is quick to read and react, diagnosing in an instant.
But he's not just instinctive; he's also super fast to the football. That's a good combination.”
Atkins’ outing against the Gators was his best statistical showing of the season, and it came after what the source described as a slower start than many expected. Even so, the buzz around him hasn’t gone away. He’s still viewed as one of the better linebacker prospects eligible for the draft.
Kiper also made clear that Atkins still has work to do before he starts pushing into early-round territory.
“Atkins is in the Day 2 conversation, but he has to cut down on the missed tackles and be more aware of where the blockers are in the play,” Kiper said. “I'm going to be watching that over the rest of the season.”
That missed-tackle issue showed up for Auburn against Florida, especially when dealing with Gators running back Jadan Baugh, who is notoriously difficult to bring down. For Atkins, that’s part of the next step: pairing his speed and versatility with cleaner execution.
If he sharpens that part of his game, his value only grows. Auburn has been able to deploy him in multiple spots, and that kind of flexibility is exactly what NFL teams want to see.
Atkins gets another chance to keep building his draft case this Saturday, when Vanderbilt visits Auburn for a 3:15 p.m. CT kickoff.
In Other News...
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For head coach Alex Golesh, it was the first major SEC test of his tenure, and it exposed how much work still remains. Auburn is now 2-1 overall and 0-1 in the league, with a loss that leaves both sides of the ball under scrutiny. The defenses inability to get off the field and the offenses inconsistency are problems that cant be brushed aside, especially with the conference schedule now in motion and no shortage of tougher nights ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns Coaching Choice Already Looks Worse Than Fans Feared
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For Auburn, the frustration has come with familiar problems on the field, especially on defense, where the Tigers have continued to struggle as Golesh gets his footing. Sumrall, meanwhile, has looked like a coach who brought immediate structure and energy to his new job, giving Florida a clean early narrative while Auburn is still searching for one. The race is still young, but the first chapter has not been kind to the Tigers' choice. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns Supposed Strength Suddenly Looks Like A Serious SEC Concern
Auburns defense, the unit that was supposed to travel as a strength, had a rough afternoon against Florida and left plenty of questions behind. The Tigers gave up 44 points and 243 rushing yards in a game that exposed missed tackles and misalignments, two issues that coach Alex Golesh and linebacker Elijah Melendez both pointed to afterward as the kind of breakdowns that cannot linger in SEC play.
Under DJ Durkin, the outing also came with several defensive milestones Auburn would rather not celebrate, a reminder that one bad game can quickly change the conversation around a teams identity. Auburn fell to 2-1 while Florida moved to 3-0, and the challenge now is whether the Tigers can clean up the details fast enough before opponents start treating that film like a roadmap. [Read more 🡒]