Auburn has dismissed star linebacker Xavier Atkins from the football program, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, bringing a stunning end to the junior’s Tigers career. The decision came down Monday night, just days after Atkins was suspended for Auburn’s 27-24 upset win at No. 1 Georgia.
Xavier Atkins (Credits: ESPN)
Suspension That Became a Dismissal
Head coach Alex Golesh announced last week that Atkins would miss the Georgia trip, refusing to go into detail. “We’ll keep it in house. That’ll be the only piece of it that I will be addressing,” Golesh said. “He won’t be available for us this week for the game.”
Earlier on Monday, Golesh told reporters the program was still working through the situation and had no update. By Monday night, the final call had been made: Atkins is no longer with the team. Sources told On3’s Justin Hokanson that Atkins’ issues this season centered on being late to or missing mandatory meetings, along with inconsistent practice habits — and that defensive teammates even asked Golesh and defensive coordinator DJ Durkin to hold him accountable.
It was the second disciplinary action for Atkins this season. He did not start Auburn’s game against Southern Miss earlier in the year for internal discipline reasons.
A Star On the Field, Gone Before LSU
The dismissal stings from a pure football standpoint. Atkins, 21, was one of the SEC’s most productive defenders, posting 37 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and one interception through five games this season. His 7.5 tackles for loss ranked fifth in the conference. Last year he earned All-American honors after leading the SEC with 17 tackles for loss, adding 84 tackles and nine sacks, and he entered 2026 as a preseason first-team All-SEC pick.
The timing couldn’t be more dramatic: Auburn hosts No. 18 LSU on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium, and Atkins began his college career with the Bayou Bengals before transferring. He will not face his former team.
If the Georgia performance is any guide, Auburn can survive without him. With Elijah Melendez (nine tackles, a sack, a pass breakup and an interception) and Bryce Deas (eight tackles) stepping up, the Tigers limited Georgia to just 113 rushing yards and forced three turnovers. Pro Football Focus credited the defense with a season-low seven missed tackles.
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Source: ESPN — read the full story there.
