AUBURN — Xavier Atkins is usually the first sight when Auburn football runs out of the tunnel pregame. His helmet's off and he's always hollering. He'll even throw in a backflip on occasion.

"I've been doing that way back since high school," the sophomore linebacker said Tuesday, Nov. 18. "The fans love somebody like that can energize. The defense can feed off that. It's contagious."

Atkins' energy has been his spark this fall, even if Auburn has underwhelmed, and the first-year Tigers' play has backed up his pregame theatrics. Through 10 games, he leads the SEC in tackles for loss and he's tied for the league lead in total tackles.

He has also played the most snaps of any Auburn defender, but that has hardly slowed him. In his mind, "dogs don't get tired."

Here's a rundown of At

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