AUBURN — Auburn sophomore linebacker Xavier Atkins has been named to the Football Writers Association of America All-America Team, the organization announced this week, capping a historic season for the Houston native.
Atkins is Auburn's first All-American linebacker since Karlos Dansby in 2003. He is Auburn’s first All-American overall since Roger McCreary in 2021.
The 6-foot, 210-pound defender posted impressive numbers throughout his standout season, topping Auburn's roster with 84 total tackles while recording a conference-leading 17.0 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and adding 9.0 quarterback sacks.
His performance peaked with 13 tackles during Auburn's victory over Arkansas on the road, marking one of two contests where he registered 4.0 tackles for loss, a feat not accomplished by a Tiger since Stanley McClover nearly two decades earlier in 2005. He brought down quarterbacks twice in three separate games: against Ball State, Missouri, and Arkansas.
Atkins made several game-changing defensive plays, including a 73-yard interception return versus Texas A&M, forcing turnovers against both A&M and Arkansas, and recovering a fumble in the South Alabama matchup.
His 17.0 tackles for loss set a single season record for an Auburn interior linebacker and represented the highest total by a freshman or sophomore defender since Antonio Coleman's 18.5 in 2007. Both his tackle and sack numbers placed him third across the SEC, with 13.0 of his tackles for loss occurring during conference games, the most in the league.
In addition to his FWAA honor, Atkins was named a second team Walter Camp All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation on Friday night.
Atkins is also the first true linebacker to earn First Team All-SEC honors for the Tigers since Deshaun Davis achieved the distinction in 2018. He was named first team All-SEC by the coaches and the Associated Press.