Three Auburn Tigers Named in SEC Media Days All-SEC Teams

The Auburn Tigers were well-represented at SEC Media Days, as new head coach Alex Golesh brought along quarterback Byrum Brown, safety Champ Anthony and kicker Alex McPherson, and their presence has made waves in the news world.

On Friday, the SEC released the media’s rankings for their All-SEC team, and three Tigers made the list.

First, though he was not present at the conference, Xavier Atkins is an undeniable member of any preseason ranking, especially of the All-SEC variety. If you go and look at any site’s All-SEC team, from Athlon to ESPN and now the SEC, Atkins is always present, usually in the first team.

This poll is no exception, as Atkins is among the first team of linebackers in this group, a feat that is made extra impressive by the fact that he is only entering his second year of full-time play. Prior to last season, Atkins played at LSU, where he only notched three tackles over a year of play.

Last season, though, Atkins was undeniably the Tigers’ defensive MVP, stringing together 84 total tackles, 60 solo tackles, nine sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble reception and an interception, along with winning more awards than are worth listing in this article. He is not planning to slow down this momentum, projecting to be a massive difference-maker for the program later this fall.

Along with Atkins, Champ Anthony found a spot on this poll, though he was only on the third team, a feat made quite impressive by the fact that he has not played in a full season for the Tigers since transferring in from junior college. Anthony has struggled with injury all throughout his Auburn career, sustaining multiple broken legs and a broken thumb, and yet, his projected impact has still earned him a spot on the third team.

“Champ is a young man that has overcome about as much as anybody in our program,” new Tiger head coach Alex Golesh said during Media Days. “A young man since the day I got there has stood on the table for being at Auburn, leading the right way… has said over and over again, ‘Coach, just find a way to get me on the field and I'll do everything in my power to help Auburn win football games.’”

Then, one of the Tigers’ other representatives at Media Days, Alex McPherson, also found his way onto the poll in the third team. McPherson, one of the Tigers’ best kickers to date, was sidelined for most of the 2024 season and some of the 2025 season as he dealt with and overcame ulcerative colitis, though he appears to be back at full strength headed into 2026.

McPherson, who needs to make just his first five kicks of the season and maintain his consistency to contend for college football’s all-time field goal percentage record, told the press that he and his unit were good from 60+ yards just a few days ago, which bodes incredibly well for the Tigers’ special teams operations this year.

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