The news of Auburn football linebacker Xavier Atkins' dismissal from the team broke late Monday, and the search for the perfect replacement has begun.
While Atkins' 37 tackles, three sacks, and team-leading 19 quarterback pressures will be missed, losing his disruptive partnership with Elijah Melendez creates the biggest void for Auburn's defense. The duo logged 89 tackles, seven sacks, and two interceptions. Now that Atkins is no longer with the team, who do the Tigers turn to replicate his production?
The easy answer would be Bryce Deas.
Deas assumed Atkins' snaps in Auburn's upset win over Georgia, seeing the field for 65 plays, three fewer than Melendez, the team's top snap-taker. He recorded a season-best eight tackles with zero misses and
received grades of 80 or higher in run defense and tackling, according to Pro Football Focus.
More playing time for Deas could turn into fewer missed tackles. Atkins led the team with 10 missed tackles this season, while Deas has missed just three. However, Atkins was a constant threat to opposing quarterbacks, and Deas will need to take a step forward in that department to become a comparable option for Auburn at linebacker.
The second option is Demarcus Riddick.
Riddick is one of the few players remaining from Auburn's 2024 top-10 signing class, and has seen significant playing time in his two previous seasons on the Plains. However, his production dipped last season. As a freshman in 2024, Riddick recorded 27 tackles and three sacks, but his numbers dwindled to 13 tackles and one sack despite playing seven more snaps. Riddick has six tackles and zero sacks in 94 snaps played so far in 2026. But with six games remaining, Riddick has plenty of time to increase production and return to 2024 glory.
Finally, the longshot option is Michael Matthews-Canty.
Matthews-Canty transferred to Auburn from Hampton during the offseason and has played just five snaps this season, all against Southern Miss in Week 2. This situation all but guarantees Matthews-Canty will get more playing time. At Hampton, Matthews-Canty made 78 stops wth 2 1/2 sacks and 4 1/2 tackles for loss. He also created 14 quarterback pressures. Matthews-Canty is on the back end of Auburn's two-deep depth chart and will provide solid depth for the Tigers' linebacker corps. However, his snap increase will give him more chances to prove himself.
The next opportunity for Deas, Riddick, and Matthews-Canty to prove their worth comes Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium when the Auburn Tigers battle the No. 17 LSU Tigers at 11 a.m. CT.
Taylor Jones is the lead writer for Auburn Wire, part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) and BlueSky. FollowAuburn Wire on X andFacebook.
This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Who replaces Xavier Atkins? Auburn's linebacker options examined
