The Auburn Tigers may be struggling a bit more on defense than many expected entering this season, but one factor has remained consistent: top-level linebacker play. The Tigers boast multiple top-tier linebackers and a plethora of solid depth, though two of DJ Durkin’s best are already getting recognition, even just four weeks into the season.
Those linebackers, Xavier Atkins and Elijah Melendez, currently rank first and fifth among all linebackers in college football, according to Pro Football Network’s latest analytics. Atkins leads the pack with a 95.0 grade, while Melendez follows a few spots down the list with a 91.5 grade.
Many expected this level of dominance from Atkins after the show he put on last season, for which he received Second Team All-America honors, First Team All-SEC honors, a nod as a Chuck Bednarik Award Semifinalist, a nod as Monday Morning QB Birmingham Club’s SEC Most Valuable Lineman and a nod as an SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week and Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in the Tigers’ matchup with Arkansas.
This season, Atkins hasn’t had to worry about getting into the swing of things, as he came right out of the gate swinging, totaling 26 total tackles, 22 solo tackles and three sacks, far beyond the pace he was at this time last season.
Melendez, on the other hand, did not have nearly the statistical year that Atkins did last year, as 2025 was Melendez’s true freshman year on the Plains. Now, as a sophomore, Melendez leads the Tigers in total tackles with 34, solo tackles with 23 and ties for first in pass deflections with three, ranking second in sacks with two.
The Tigers statistically have two of the best linebacker options in the country in Melendez and Atkins, though their linebacker dominance does not stop with just the two. Demarcus Riddick, who was an All-SEC Freshman Teamer back in 2024, has gotten off to a slower start this year but is still producing, while Bryce Deas, a sophomore, is beginning to make his mark on the Tigers’ defensive scheming.
Despite all of this linebacker talent, the Tigers have still struggled a bit on defense throughout the season, particularly against Florida’s high-flying offense. The Tigers’ defense will have plenty of chances to prove itself once again, though, as the month of October may be one of the most grueling months in college football, at least as it pertains to Auburn’s schedule.
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