Alabama head coaches are largely defined by one of two things: Winning national championships and how they perform in the Iron Bowl. While arch-rival Auburn has hit the skids in recent years, the Tigers did make a splashy hire by prying Alex Golesh away from South Florida. He replaces the delightfully ineffective Hugh Freeze down on The Plains. Kalen DeBoer has gotten things rolling into year three.
In Adam Rittenberg's latest for ESPN.com, he outlined the top non-quarterback playmakers entering the 2026-27 college football season. While no Crimson Tide player found himself on this list, there is one player of note from Auburn. That would be star junior linebacker Xavier Atkins. The former LSU transfer had nine sacks last year in a lost cause of a season for Auburn, including 1.5 in the Iron Bowl.
Atkins' new head coach had nothing but nice things to say about the elite edge rusher he is inheriting.
"Xavier was obviously an All-American that is still young, that is still trying to figure out who he is and what it is to lead, what that really looks like. He's a perfect fit for our system. His physicality has really grown."
Golesh may favor the offensive side of the ball in some capacities, but he does view things from a defensive perspective. It is why he complemented Josh Heupel so well during their time together at UCF and Tennessee. Atkins choosing to establish roots at Auburn should help Golesh get it turned around there in a hurry. It is why Auburn could be markedly better by the time it does face Alabama.
While Alabama and DeBoer have benefited from the Chaz Coleman situation, it is not the Iron Bowl...
Alex Atkins could take advantage of Alabama's offensive line in Iron Bowl
Although Auburn has a long way to go to get back to what is a level of respectability for the Tigers program, having an elite pass rusher could be quite problematic for DeBoer's Crimson Tide team this season. Alabama does a lot of things well, but the offensive line is in a state of flux and might need some work. Having great edge rushers is the easiest way for any defense to flip a game on its head.
The good news is this year's Iron Bowl will be in Tuscaloosa. It could make things challenging for Byrum Brown and the rest of the Tigers' offense to get its footing in what may be a must-win game for both teams involved. The bad news is Atkins plays on defense, meaning there will not be a ton of crowd noise when he is trying to rush the passer. It is why mobility will be so important for Alabama...
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Whether it be Austin Mack or Keelon Russell leading the Crimson Tide out of the tunnel, Alabama's new starting quarterback cannot be a statue operating from strictly inside the pocket. They may need to buy more time to throw. A player like Atkins could throw a wrench into what DeBoer and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb may want to do. The screen game may be a way to rectify this.
At this time, Alabama can feel comfortable heading into the Iron Bowl, but must keep tabs on Atkins.
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