Xavier Atkins is back in the spotlight, and this time it comes with a spot on one of college football’s most respected preseason lists.
The Auburn linebacker was named to the Dick Butkus Award’s 51-player preseason watchlist, a fitting recognition after the kind of breakout season he just put together. The award goes to the nation’s best linebacker each year, and while Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez took the honor last season, Atkins’ name was firmly in the mix thanks to what he did in 2025.
That rise looks even more striking when you remember where he started. Before last season at Auburn, Atkins had just three total tackles in his career. After transferring from LSU and moving from a deep rotation role into the starting lineup, he became a centerpiece for an already loaded Tiger defense.
Atkins finished the 2025 campaign with 84 total tackles, 60 solo tackles, nine sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception. His 17 tackles for loss led the SEC and set a new Auburn benchmark for a Tiger linebacker in a single season.
The honors followed. Atkins was named Second Team All-America, earned First Team All-SEC recognition, landed on the Chuck Bednarik Award Semifinalist list, was selected as Monday Morning QB Birmingham Club’s SEC Most Valuable Lineman and picked up SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week and Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance against Arkansas.
Now he turns to 2026 with defensive coordinator DJ Durkin still in place and Alex Golesh taking over as head coach. Golesh has already made it clear he believes Atkins is ready for another jump.
“Xavier was obviously an All-American that is still young, that is still trying to figure out who he is and what it is to lead, what that really looks like," Golesh said back in June. "He's a perfect fit for our system. His physicality has really grown."
Winning the Butkus Award won’t be easy with so many elite linebackers in the sport right now, but Atkins has already shown he belongs in that conversation. If an Auburn defender is going to make the push, he looks like the one.
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Auburns First Scrimmage Exposed An Early Concern For Alex Golesh
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For Golesh, the bigger concern remained on the defensive side, where tackling has become a daily point of emphasis. Auburn has been drilling it every day, but the head coach made clear the group is still chasing the standard he wants, especially as the team moves from controlled work into more game-like situations. The scrimmage offered a useful snapshot, but also a reminder that plenty of sharpening still has to happen before September arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns Defense May Depend On These Young Tigers Growing Up Fast
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Elijah Melendez is part of that same developmental wave at linebacker, where Auburn needs young players to grow into more dependable pieces fast. If the defensive line and the second-level help keep trending forward, the Tigers could have a sturdier foundation than expected, but the real question is how much of that promise translates once the pressure of a full season starts to pile up. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Defense Has A Fall Problem Fans Cant Ignore
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There are still reasons to think the unit will settle in. Sophomore Darrion Smith is emerging as a pass-rushing presence, and Auburns plan to lean heavily on the run game should help keep the defense fresher over the course of the season. Durkins recent defenses have generally been effective, but the challenge now is making sure a few rough practice moments do not linger into the part of the year that actually counts. [Read more 🡒]