The Auburn Tigers will play one of their most important games of the season without a key defensive piece.
On Monday, Auburn head coach Alex Golesh announced that linebacker Xavier Atkins is suspended for the Tigers' game at No. 1 Georgia on Saturday. While speaking to the media on Monday, defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin mentioned who could step up in Atkins 'absence.
“Bryce (Deas) has been playing a lot of football for us this year. De'Marcus' (Riddick) reps have been a little bit down, but he has played a lot of football in the past, obviously, and played well for us. We feel really good about those guys," Durkin said Monday. "I always feel like, in that room, all those guys are considered starters. I know you can only have so many of them
on the field at one time to get the reps, but they’re all considered starters in our mind. Their rep count will go up now, and I think they’ll do great.”
Deas has 15 tackles this season, and Riddick has just five in limited action this season. Deas opened the season with six tackles in the 17-16 win over Baylor. Riddick has been a good player for the Tigers in the past. During the 2024 season, he had 27 tackles along with three sacks and five tackles for loss. The group should lean more on Elijah Melendez, who leads Auburn in tackles with 43. The Tigers will need all the linebackers to play their best to help stop the physical Georgia rushing attack.
Atkins entered the season with high expectations and many preseason accolades, including preseason All-SEC. He is second on the team with 37 tackles and is tied for the team lead with three sacks. Now, the question is how the Tigers will replace Atkins against their biggest challenge this season.
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Who will step up for Xavier Atkins in Auburn's upcoming game at Georgia?
