It certainly wasn’t the season that Auburn coaches, players and fans wanted in 2025 as the Tigers ended 5-7 for the second consecutive season, Hugh Freeze was fired after a dismal performance in a 10-3 loss to Kentucky and the Tigers once again missed postseason play.
There were some standouts for Auburn this season, led by linebacker Xavier Atkins, who was named to First Team All-SEC after a breakout year. The sophomore led DJ Durkin’s defense with 84 tackles, while having an SEC-high 17 tackles for a loss and adding nine sacks. He becomes the first Auburn linebacker to earn first-team honors since KJ Britt in 2019.