Alex Golesh revealed Monday the Auburn Tigers will be without Xavier Atkins this week.
Atkins is one of the Tigers' most productive linebackers.
"We will be without Xavier Atkins this week," Golesh said on Monday. "We'll revisit it next week when we meet again on Monday in here. Keep it in house anything beyond that. That'll be the only piece of it that I'll be addressing. But he won't be with us this week for the game on Saturday, won't be available, and then we'll revisit early next week when we meet again here."
Auburn's defensive coordinator DJ Durkin highlighted a couple of players who the Tigers will look to lean on with Atkins out while talking to reporters on Monday.
“Bryce (Deas) has been playing a lot of football for us this year," Durkin said. "De'Marcus' (Riddick) reps have been a little bit down, but he has played a lot of football in the past, obviously, and played well for us. We feel really good about those guys. I always feel like, in that room, all those guys are considered starters. I know you can only have so many of them on the field at one time to get the reps, but they’re all considered starters in our mind. Their rep count will go up now, and I think they’ll do great.”
Deas has 15 total tackles this season, and Riddick has four.
Auburn will travel to Athens to take on Georgia on Saturday.
