r/wde • u/CatoTheBarner • 5d ago
Football Auburn LB Xavier Atkins suspended for Georgia game
https://247sports.com/college/auburn/article/xavier-atkins-auburn-football-2026-suspension--291205561/109
u/chainsaw74 5d ago
Good. Setting the culture. No one’s above the team.
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u/Working-Craft9935 2d ago
Great culture. 0 wins. Not sure if it’s worth tens of millions paid out to him tho. We can have great culture at home (for free). And I’m interested in giving my money to this Auburn football…
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u/bham089 5d ago
Does this mean we lost the bye week?
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u/Possible-Society-628 5d ago
His playing was atrocious during the bye week. Not one tackle. I’m sure that’s what it is. Let him sit and think about what he has (or has not) done.
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u/JustHere2Poop 5d ago
Fuck 'Em. I had high hopes for X. Atkins but if this is the price to pay for them to set a standard then I'd rather them do this now during a losing season v.s. in the future.
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u/Pasta_Fajool 5d ago
Apparently other members of the defense asked coaches to hold him accountable - thats the culture you want.
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u/B-L-O-C-K-Ss Comrade 4d ago
Where’d you get that from
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u/_jt33_ 4d ago
Hok said it.. no idea who those players are or their role on the team though. Also Singleton was arrested before the Tenn game and didn't miss a snap.
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u/B-L-O-C-K-Ss Comrade 4d ago
Wow I’m out of the loop… what did singleton get arrested for??
Edit: nvm I see it now. I don’t see it as the bombshell people are treating it as. Driving without a license is wrong, but idk if I’d say you should get suspended for it
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u/D_BrickashawFerguson 5d ago
Unfortunate. He’s tanking his own draft stock now that character questions will come into play. You’d think that alone would be motivation to be a professional.
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u/wareagle2009-20013 5d ago
Watch the Tenn game and Atkins goes into the wrong gap multiple times trying to make the play.
He isn’t playing within the scheme which Durkin uses dline to adsorb blocks and LBs fitting gaps to make tackles.
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u/warneagle The Gulag 5d ago
Our run fits in that game were terrible, it just didn’t really bite us in the ass until the second half because Tennessee was hamstringing themselves with dogshit QB play.
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u/warneagle The Gulag 5d ago
What a dumbass. Glad to see the coaching staff making it clear that nobody is bigger than the team. You’ve got to treat the stars the exact same way you’d treat the third string kicker if you want your discipline to have credibility.
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u/Working-Craft9935 2d ago
Would it make you glad if he sat all the starter (if he discovers discipline issues)? Do you just keep getting happier the more moral victories he brings us? Cause I just want Auburn to be good at some point
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u/parlcerkins 5d ago
For the best although it’s a huge disappointment.
This year appears to be another lost season and Golesh has to make this program his own, set his own standards and enforce his culture. Remains to be seen whether Golesh’s culture will turn things around for Auburn or whether the boosters will allow him the control to do so.
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u/OneSecond13 5d ago
Auburn doesn't have a good track record over the past six years giving coaches the time to instill their culture. Players aren't dumb... they know a coach risks getting fired by pushing too hard. So the players have some amount of power to push back.
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u/Shot-Address-9952 Babushka 5d ago
Damn. Now I need the tea… what did he do???
But in all seriousness, good on Golesh for not gossiping and setting the standard.
And good on the team for buying in and believing in that standard. Building takes time but that’s a good start.
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u/CatoTheBarner 5d ago
Rumor last week was he was kicked off the team due to attitude. Obviously not kicked off the team, but wonder if they got it half right. Golesh’s comments about “we’ll look at it again on Monday” make it seem like it is something like that.
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u/Shot-Address-9952 Babushka 5d ago
Kicking off for attitude sounds a bit extreme, especially the guy who was the one guy to seem to buy in most from last year to this year. Not unheard of because “attitude” can be anywhere between “do your job,” (said with less tact) to “I am an All-American and don’t have to do shit,” (which doesn’t seem like XA, especially given comments earlier in the year about how he was focused on continuing to execute at a high level).
Still, accountability of the best performers shows everyone else who the boss is. It also can show what you are made of too. Bouncing back from being disciplined is a hallmark of strength and mental toughness.
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u/Working-Craft9935 2d ago
If he gets the chance to bounce back. If he’s off the team then Golesh is a poor mentor
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u/bradenb941 5d ago
Guess it makes sense. If you’re going to suspend him, do it for a game we were already going to lose with or without him
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u/darkoaks 5d ago
Oh well. Guess we're not beating Georgia. Again.
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u/Boomboclaaat90210 5d ago
We weren't beating Georgie with him. Not with the way we've been playing and with the way they've been playing....and in Athens.
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u/Boomboclaaat90210 5d ago
Not knocking Golesh because he's trying to compete with a roster made of table scraps but I'm not even sure our 2004, 2010 or 2013 teams could pull this upset off.
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u/Ok_Pressure4591 5d ago
Disagree, those teams would definitely beat them. Also 2017 as well.
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u/Working-Craft9935 2d ago
Teams before the NIL (and 2020s) were so much deeper then we’ll ever really see. I think even above average good teams from that era would have superior depth to the best teams now
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u/quadraticcheese 5d ago
Yeah they have a legitimate pro QB who calls his own plays. We were fucked from the start
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u/Honest-Reflection667 5d ago
Yall had a really good team last year, except for the qb. Yall were close last year. But you never know yall could catch them on a bad day
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u/TheBasedBurrito 5d ago
Xavier Atkins was not going to be the difference between Auburn winning, let alone having a chance, in this game
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u/aub2289 5d ago
I am so tired of the phrase “setting the culture.” Not every damn situation needs a catchy little platitude to make it sound profound. Sometimes a coach is just doing his job. Sometimes he’s doing it badly. Sometimes a team has a problem that requires actual leadership, not another buzzword. Can we please stop dressing up basic expectations and obvious failures in motivational bullshit and just call things what they are?
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u/wtwde 5d ago
We’ve mostly got a team full of good character guys. He’s one of the very few that seem to not be. Agree completely on making sure the culture isn’t disrupted by one or two guys who think they are above the rules.
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u/ToneOpposite9668 4d ago
Yep good character guys who are going to get stomped by a team of guys who break rules like it's nothing in Athens - oh and win. I'm sure XA isn't or hasn't been a boy scout and deserves the criticism/suspension but we will have to walk a line here in this new future of college football. I'm thinking a lot of things are overlooked in Athens, Tuscaloosa and Baton Rouge in this day and age that we aren't hearing about. Winning will fix culture.
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u/Dry_Agency_1928 4d ago
Don’t forget the culture at Georgia and Bama. Those players get away with drinking, and drinking and driving and take money from boosters etc. Auburn is not losing by big numbers and really should be 4-0, there is no reason for this every year!! What are they doing, taking the money and run! Those players have their spots on the team for a reason. Do you know how many young men wanted to play for Auburn! A lot, of these players have something to prove, keep up with Georgia, do not let them get a huge lead. Capitalize on their mistakes- Bama shows that ALL teams make mistakes on the field. Alabama just lost at Bryant-Denny Stadium. War Eagle!! All Auburn has to do is not let Georgia run all over them on Saturday!!!
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u/OneSecond13 5d ago
Does this mean he forfeits some of his NIL money. There must be a contract between team and player, and I am sure there are clauses for behavior. If he violates the contract, it follows that he forfeits money... at least I hope so.
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u/_jt33_ 4d ago
Keshaun Singleton was arrested before the Tenn game and didn't miss a snap. That's now 2 players who have been arrested and didn't miss a down of football... meanwhile Atkins is suspended for an an apparent attitude.. that we never heard anything about until now. If fact he's usually been praised for his attitude.
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u/T1G3R02 4d ago
Singleton was arrested for a suspended license which in the grand scheme of things is really not that bad. According to Hoke Golesh has been trying to give Atkins grace and he hasn’t fixed anything yet. It’s gotten to the point where his teammates had to approach the staff and ask them to do something. That’s much more detrimental to the team than a suspended license, that can happen for any number of reasons.
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u/tuna_piano_ 4d ago
Wasn't Atkins literally already suspended for the start of the florida game this season?
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u/adolfhitlerdablord 5d ago
I hate this fucking program.
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u/Haskins5763 5d ago
That’s fine, you’re entitled to your opinion. Just take it somewhere else. If you really feel that way, go find a team you can cheer for.
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u/New-Kaleidoscope4630 5d ago
I disagree. This is an Auburn athletics sub. If you’re a fan (they clearly are), talk your shit, vent, etc. Lord knows there is PLENTY to be upset with.
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u/Haskins5763 5d ago
Thank God all these whiners and complainers aren’t players on the team, the locker room would for crap right now. It’s bad enough they’re even fans.
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u/adolfhitlerdablord 5d ago
See above. I’ve literally only known bad teams. Can you really blame me for being over it? Also, rude.
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u/adolfhitlerdablord 5d ago
Why would I root for a team other than my alma mater? And lord knows I’ll still be cheering for them. I’m just very, very tired of the bs. I became a student, and effectively a fan, in 2020, so I’ve literally only known bad teams and disappointment.
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u/Haskins5763 5d ago
I went through the 9 years of Alabama domination of Auburn. It’ll get better, just be patient. And, try to not bad mouth the program or the players. Do you think they aren’t seeing what’s posted on social media. They need all the encouragement they can get just to stay for another year, not all this negativity. Who would want to stay and play for fans like ours? And, I know, it all about the money these days. But, if I was a player at Auburn and read all this negative garbage, I’d take less money to go somewhere else.
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u/AU_Thach 5d ago
Let’s see how boosters handle this. I feel like new coaches have done this and they freaked.
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u/Comfortable-Town-245 4d ago
Hope he can change my impression but Golesh seems to play favorites with former USF players and disrespect loyal players like Atkins who stayed with Auburn when so many left. Never making him a captain and then cutting his snaps when he's an all American and a massive weapon is just inept coaching. Hope he can change my mind but not seeing much "winning culture" so far. Defense works hard and the vaunted offense has had terrible playmaking.
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u/tgrogan21 4d ago edited 4d ago
Or maybe Atkins has done absolutely nothing to deserve being called a captain. And him getting his snaps cut is because of the attitude issues that have resulted in him being suspended a game? You can't let any player do whatever they want just because they were "loyal" to Auburn.
Obviously, I have no idea what actually happened but if defensive players went to Golesh and Durkin and asked for them to hold Atkins accountable then that is not Golesh playing favorites with the USF players.
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u/Haskins5763 4d ago
Not sure how it works with this coaching staff, but it used to be the players voted on team captains
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u/SauceDab 5d ago
How many times has Kirby or Saban suspended guys for important games? I’m not saying I disagree with this but I feel like this whole “setting the culture” thing is kind of BS. I’m not saying let certain guys get away with anything but let the punishment be gassers or something.
It’s like when Harsin was here and he was “setting the culture” by having guys take the stairs instead of elevators. The whole “culture” thing is kind of overblown to me personally
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u/Complex_Try_4287 5d ago
Other players went to Durkin and Golesh and asked them to hold X “more accountable.” Something clearly needed to be done.
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u/SauceDab 5d ago
Oh if the players did it then I ain’t mad at it. If the players are reportedly saying something then that’s a problem
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u/NashMatt04 5d ago
So if there needs to be consequences make the consequences not matter. That defeats the purpose of the consequences.
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u/SauceDab 5d ago
I never said not matter. The punishment could be during practices instead of game day
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u/_jt33_ 5d ago
I won't say who, but I tweeted out "Meanwhile Womack gets arrested and never missed a down" and a current starter on the team, who I won't snitch out and name, liked the post.
I know a lot here felt differently about Womack than me and that's fine.. I'm not even talking about that part right now. Its done and over and you can rewind time. There does appear to be a perception of inconsistency though.. I'm not saying there is or isn't, maybe there is a reason for it, but when starters on the team think that way, then perception can become reality even if its not.
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u/FormalCap1429 5d ago
Considering we don’t know what X did, this comparison game is unhelpful.
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u/_jt33_ 5d ago
I would agree on the outside, but when a starter on the team feels that way I think that makes it different.
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u/FormalCap1429 5d ago
When said starter is willing to go on a podcast or interview and publicly explain everything to us, sure I’ll jump on your side, but for now it’s just gossip.
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u/CatoTheBarner 5d ago
Better than the rumors last week that he had been kicked off the team. Sounds like something is real there though. “‘We'll revisit it next week when we meet again (next) Monday,’" Golesh said.”