Auburn head coach Alex Golesh says, "We're continuing to work through it" when it comes to the team's situation with star linebacker Xavier Atkins.
During Auburn's bye week, news broke that All-American linebacker Xavier Atkins would miss the Tigers' game against the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs and would be away from the team for at least a week.
A week has come and gone, and Atkins status for the Tigers' upcoming game against No. 17 LSU remains a mystery.
“We’re still working through it. We're continuing to work through it," Golesh said, responding to any update on Atkins during Monday's press conference. "I don't have an update right now.”
The team has chosen to keep the nature of Atkins' suspension in-house and said they would reevaluate the situation this week. Golesh's words show that more time will pass before his status for this week is officially known.
In Atkins absence, Bryce Deas and Demarcus Riddick had to step up. Deas trailed only Elijah Melendez in defensive snap counts last week, and logged a season-high eight tackles. Riddick played a season-high 30 snaps in the win over the Bulldogs. Although Auburn has solid depth at linebacker, it will be hard to match Atkins' production as the Tigers continue to work towards bowl eligibility.
Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jac on X:@Jac_Myrick
This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: What is Xavier Atkins' status for Saturday's game vs LSU?