Auburn’s Xavier Atkins Placed on Prestigious Award Watchlist

There have been few players who have been as highly thought of as Xavier Atkins, a linebacker for the Auburn Tigers, ahead of the season, but Atkins continues to impress, earning new awards just about every other day at this point. Most recently, Atkins found a home on the watchlist for the Walter Camp Award.

Yep, X again 📈🏆@XavierAtkins8 has been named to the @WalterCampFF Player of the Year Watch List. pic.twitter.com/Y6aqETs7Fe
— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) August 17, 2026

Being placed on the Camp Award Watchlist is likely the biggest honor Atkins has received so far this offseason, as the award is, quite simply, given to the best player in college football each year. Tiger fans already knew that Atkins was one of the best linebackers in the country; some others may have said that he was one of the best defensive players in the country, but few have asserted that he could be the best in the sport.

Competition for the Camp Award is obviously stiff, and only three players in the award’s near-60-year history have been defensive players, but Atkins could very well be the fourth defensive player to earn it, though he will need to step up his production from an already dazzling sophomore season.

As a freshman, Atkins enrolled at LSU and recorded three tackles, but ahead of his sophomore season, he made the decision to land on the Plains, and he recorded not only his best year to date, but also one of the best seasons in the history of Auburn’s football program.

In 2025, Atkins totaled a whopping 84 tackles, 60 of which were solo tackles, as well as nine sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception. However, there is one stat that sets Atkins’ 2025 campaign apart from the rest of Auburn’s history: tackles for loss.

Atkins managed to bring down 17 ball carriers for losses in 2025, the most of any linebacker in football, as well as the most in a single season by any Auburn defender in history. Keep in mind, this was all after a three-tackle season, so under DJ Durkin, Atkins is clearly thriving on the Plains.

To improve on these numbers and potentially be among the finalists for this award would be a herculean task, but if anyone can improve on a season, it is clearly Atkins. The junior is set to have tremendous help as well–Elijah Melendez, Bryce Deas, Demarcus Riddick and a host of others are also chomping at the bit to make a defensive impact this season.

However, the spotlight will likely remain on Atkins this season, barring a major development, so the pressure will rest heavily on his shoulders to continue his dominance from last season.

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