Is Xavier Atkins the best transfer portal addition Auburn has made in the new era? Another standout season could cement that case.

Pete Nakos of On3 recently ranked the top 10 transfer players of the 2025 season, and Atkins came in at No. 7 nationally.

Nakos wrote: The LSU transfer linebacker posted 84 tackles while recording a conference-leading 17.0 tackles for loss and nine quarterback sacks. Xavier Atkins also forced two fumbles and had an interception returned 73 yards for a touchdown against Texas A&M. The 6-foot, 210-pound linebacker also had 11 quarterback hurries.

Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza was obviously No. 1. Among other players Auburn had interest in last offseason were Ahmad Hardy at No. 5, KC Concepcion at No. 6, Clev Lubin at No. 9 and Darian Mensah at No. 10.

Atkins announced he would return to Auburn for the 2026 season on Dec. 17.

Atkins started all 12 games in his sophomore season and led Auburn with 84 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and nine sacks, plus a fumble recovery vs. South Alabama and an interception vs. Texas A&M.

The 6-foot, 210-pound linebacker finished with a conference-leading 17 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, and his 17 TFL set Auburn’s single-season record for an interior linebacker while marking the highest total by a freshman or sophomore since Antonio Coleman’s 18.5 in 2007. His tackle and sack totals both ranked third in the SEC, and 13 of his 17 tackles for loss came in conference play (most in the league).

Atkins earned First Team All-SEC (Coaches, AP), Walter Camp Second Team All-American, and Monday Morning QB Birmingham Club SEC Most Valuable Lineman, along with Walter Camp and Football Writers of America Association All-American honors. He was also a Bednarik Award semifinalist and won SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week and Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week in late October.

He is Auburn’s first All-American linebacker since Karlos Dansby (2003) and the program’s first All-American overall since Roger McCreary (2021).

“He’s just been a guy that’s totally dedicated, motivated to saying this is important and something I wanna get done,” defensive coordinator DJ Durkin recently said of Atkins. “To then see that all come to fruition that way is just incredible. That’s what it’s all about.”