The Auburn Tigers have suspended All-American linebacker Xavier Atkins in Saturday's game against the Georgia Bulldogs, head coach Alex Golesh revealed on Monday.
“We’ll keep it in house. That’ll be the only piece of it that I will be addressing. He won’t be available for us this week for the game,” Golesh told On3's Justin Hokanson.
He was named to the Preseason All-SEC Team before the season and has arguably been Auburn's best player this season, recording 37 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, one interception, and three quarterback hurries in five games. He has started four of their games, but did not against Southern Miss, with Hokanson reporting that was due to "internal discipline."
Atkins was named a Second-Team All-American and First-Team
All-SEC member last year after making 84 tackles, 17.0 tackles for loss, 9.0 sacks, one interception, and two forced fumbles. It was his first season at Auburn after he spent his freshman season with the LSU Tigers.
Auburn is looking to beat Georgia in Athens for the first time since 2005 this weekend, and will now be doing so without one of its best players. The Tigers opened as nearly three-touchdown underdogs against the Bulldogs.
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn suspends All-American linebacker Xavier Atkins for Georgia game
