Two Auburn Tigers Earn Spots on On3's Top 100 Players List

The Auburn Tigers have some notable members of the team represented on the top 100 players list

One established and one newcomer represent Auburn on the list | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It’s been a disappointing stretch of seasons for the Auburn Tigers, who are now amidst the longest bowl game drought in the SEC. The Tigers have recently brought on former USF head coach Alex Golesh to right the ship, and his team is already trending in the right direction, with two players on his 2026 roster earning national recognition.

Core pieces for Auburn on offense and defense are earning national love.

Xavier Atkins and Byrum Brown both made the @On3 2026 Top 100 list, with Brown earning additional recognition as one of the most impactful transfers heading into 2026.

🔗 https://t.co/GVGxj4uzVx pic.twitter.com/lDOvHWP6mq

— Justin Hokanson (@_JHokanson) January 24, 2026

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Neither of these names should be unfamiliar to anyone who’s kept up with the Tigers in the last year, though Xavier Atkins is a name many should recognize as the headliner of a Tiger defense that allowed less than 24 points in all but two games last season. He earned himself honors as the 16th-best player in the country, per this ranking system.

Atkins was PFSN’s highest-graded linebacker in 2025, with a staggering 91.4 grade. It’s no surprise to see him at the top of this list, as he managed to put together 84 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and nine sacks while also recording a crucial interception in the Oklahoma matchup. The LSU transfer also managed 25 pressures and two forced fumbles in 2025, so he’ll be a name to keep an eye on as he enters his junior season with the Tigers.

The other name on this list wasn’t even a blip on most Tiger fans’ radars this time last year, but now, you’d be hard-pressed to find an Auburn fan who doesn’t know the name Byrum Brown. Brown, who fell to the 80th spot on this list, dominated last year with Golesh’s USF Bulls, and now he’s made his way to the Plains for his final year of eligibility.

In 2025, Brown put up a ridiculous 3,158 passing yards and 28 passing touchdowns to just seven interceptions, while tacking on over 1,000 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns for good measure. The dual-threat quarterback has already garnered comparisons to Auburn legend Cam Newton, and all that remains for him is to make the most of the opportunity he’s found himself in.

Though Auburn’s 2026 lineup is set to be extremely talented, that’s typically not meant much for prior Tiger teams. All of former Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze’s rosters were among the most talented rosters in the SEC, yet the team could never get over the hump when it mattered.

With Golesh at the helm, a familiar face at quarterback and a returning key piece of a top-level defense, the Tigers appear poised to put together a strong season in Golesh’s first year. Tiger fans have been heartbroken by talented rosters before, though, so all that remains is to see exactly what this team will look like come the fall.