Auburn star breaks silence after being dismissed by the program

The Auburn Tigers are fresh off a stunning 27-24 win over the previously No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs in Athens. 

It was a statement win for head coach Alex Golesh and Auburn, and the Tigers are 4-2 with back-to-back games coming up against the LSU Tigers and Ole Miss Rebels. 

However, on Monday night, it was revealed that Auburn star linebacker Xavier Atkins had been dismissed from the program. 

Xavier Atkins breaks silence after being dismissed 

Atkins had been suspended for the game against Georgia, and the Tigers star linebacker took to social media to share a message about his future. 

"I have nothing but respect  Auburn University and will continue to support my teammates this season. My focus is on my health, my family, and on finishing up the academic semester strong, and I’ll be entering the transfer portal at the appropriate time."

Golesh said Atkins' suspension would stay in-house for now, but he has been dismissed just two days after Auburn's huge win. 

Atkins began his career at LSU, and he was in his second season with Auburn. He was a preseason All-American, and he had 61 solo tackles with nine sacks and an interception in 2025. 

This season, Atkins already had 27 solo tackles with three sacks and an interception in five games, so he was a huge presence on the defense for Auburn. 

Bryce Deas replaced Atkins on Saturday, and that figures to be the situation going forward.