Auburn's Xavier Atkins is unbothered by preseason hype surrounding him

Auburn linebacker Xavier Atkins quickly made a name for himself last season by leading the SEC in tackles for loss. This season, the expectations for Atkins are greater as he finds himself on several preseason watchlists and preseason All-America teams.

>With Auburn football's preseason camp getting underway this week, Atkins was available to speak to the media for the first time this season on Wednesday, where he was asked about his preseason accolades and how those have affected his mindset heading into the preseason.

>Atkins says he is happy to be on a national radar, but understands that he has not secured an award yet in 2026.

>"When I came in last year, I did not have preseason accolades or anything like that, so I'm just keeping my head down," Atkins said. "We all know awards aren't won in the preseason; it's what you do in the season to get what you want to get. That's why I always try to keep my even keel level down, like, just being where my feet are. But it is a great thing, though."

>"Focused" is the mindset Atkins has heading into the 2026 season after recording an impressive 17 tackles for loss last season, his first as an Auburn Tiger after transferring from LSU. In addition to his first-team Preseason All-SEC nod, recognition by the Walter Camp Award and the Bronko Nagurski Award proves that Atkins will have more attention this season. Not only will Atkins work to earn a postseason award and to boost his NFL draft stock this season, but he will also work to play an instrumental part in Auburn ending the year with a winning record and an appearance in a postseason contest.

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>This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn's Xavier Atkins is unbothered by preseason hype surrounding him