Auburn’s Xavier Atkins Tacks on Yet Another Preseason Award

It is no secret to anyone surrounding the Auburn Tigers that Xavier Atkins has separated himself as one of the best defenders in the country, but few expected Atkins to receive this level of recognition ahead of the 2026 season.

On Thursday, Atkins found a home on yet another preseason All-American list, on the first team, this time in a list cultivated by The Sporting News.

Atkins, a junior, totaled just three tackles in his freshman year at LSU in 2024, but in 2025, he transferred to Auburn and had a career year, including 84 tackles, 60 solo tackles, nine sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception.

As a result, awards seemed to rain down on Atkins, who was the recipient of Second Team All-America honors, First Team All-SEC honors, a nod as a Chuck Bednarik Award Semifinalist, a nod as Monday Morning QB Birmingham Club’s SEC Most Valuable Lineman and a SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week and Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in the Tigers’ matchup with Arkansas.

Then, in the offseason, the steady hail of awards continued, including nods as a first-team All-American from multiple sources, including On3, ESPN and the SEC. Atkins, however, told the press on Wednesday that these awards are not detracting from his focus on the upcoming season.

“When I came in last year, I did not have preseason accolades or anything like that, so I'm just keeping my head down,” he said. “We all know awards aren't won in the preseason; it's what you do in the season to get what you want to get. That's why I always try to keep my even keel level down, like, just being where my feet are. But it is a great thing, though.”

Atkins headlines a Tiger linebacker core that ESPN ranked as the third-best in all of college football, and he and his teammates are looking to push to No. 1 this season. They certainly have the pieces to do so, as Atkins is joined by Demarcus Riddick, a 2024 All-SEC Freshman Teamer who was sidelined for a large part of 2025 with a shoulder injury, as well as Bryce Deas and Elijah Melendez, two very high-potential players.

If Atkins can continue the momentum he started under Auburn defensive coordinator DJ Durkin in the upcoming season, the Tigers’ defensive chances will certainly look good, even against some of the best teams in the country.

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