Auburn University sophomore linebacker Xavier Atkins has been named to the second team of the Walter Camp All-America, as announced by the Walter Camp Football Foundation on Friday.
Atkins, a native of Houston, is Auburn’s first All-American linebacker since Karlos Dansby in 2003. He is also the first Auburn player to earn All-America honors from the Walter Camp Football Foundation since Derrick Brown was recognized in 2019.
During the season, Atkins led Auburn with 84 total tackles. He also recorded 17.0 tackles for loss, which was the highest in the conference, and added 9.0 quarterback sacks. In Auburn’s road win over Arkansas, he made 13 tackles and registered 4.0 tackles for loss—matching a mark not reached by an Auburn player since Stanley McClover in 2005. He had two sacks each against Ball State, Missouri, and Arkansas.
Atkins contributed several key defensive plays this year. These included a 73-yard interception return against Texas A&M, forcing turnovers versus Texas A&M and Arkansas, and recovering a fumble during the game against South Alabama.
His total of 17.0 tackles for loss set a single-season record for an Auburn interior linebacker and was the most by any freshman or sophomore defender at Auburn since Antonio Coleman had 18.5 in 2007. Both his tackle and sack totals ranked third among all players in the SEC; he recorded 13.0 tackles for loss during conference games—the highest number in that category.
Atkins is also notable as “the first true linebacker to earn First Team All-SEC honors for the Tigers since Deshaun Davis achieved the distinction in 2018.”
The Walter Camp Football Foundation is based in New Haven and operates as an all-volunteer group founded in 1967 to continue Walter Camp’s legacy through annual selection of an All-America team. The foundation is part of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which brings together major college football awards.
For more information about the foundation: www.waltercamp.org
