A mid-season injury to Tre Williams gave Montavious Atkinson his first chance at significant playing time last season — and he didn't disappoint.
The Fairburn, Ga., native put together a six-tackle game against Missouri and followed that up with a seven-tackle performance against Mississippi State a week later. He also played well during the loss at LSU. Atkinson, whose teammates call him "Ack," works primarily at weak-side 'backer, but also earned Steele's trust as a dime 'backer when the Tigers' maxed out their pass coverage last season.
What sticks out about Atkinson is his versatility. He began his Auburn career as a box safety — former defensive coordinator Will Muschamp loved Atkinson's fearless, professional approach — and made the switch to linebacker when Steele arrived prior to the 2016 season. As such, he's smoother than Auburn's others 'backers in coverage. He's also an adept pass rusher who does a nice job finding space inside on the run blitz.
The question with Atkinson, now a senior, is how he fits into the team's 2018 defensive plan. Darrell Williams probably will be ahead of Atkinson at weak-side ("Will") 'backer and Deshaun Davis is entrenched in the middle. The Tigers' use just two linebackers most of the time, which means Atkinson appears headed for another season as a utility defender unless he can beat out Williams. There is no ambiguity regarding Atkinson's value as a special-teams contributor; he started on three special teams in 2017 and graded out highly week after week.
ON THE UP SIDE: A natural leader whose command of Kevin Steele's defensive strategy is second to none, consistent level of energy/effort, hard hitter
ON THE DOWN SIDE: Athleticism, finishing tackles, eye discipline when not at dime
VOTING RESULTS: Bryan Matthews (No. 16), Jay G. Tate (No. 17), Jeffrey Lee (N/R), The Bunker (N/R)
PREVIOUS RANKINGS: This is Atkinson's first year in the AuburnSports.com Top 20.
POSTSCRIPT: Every good team needs guys like Atkinson. Every player cannot be a star. It's important to have committed, experienced leaders who handle dirty work without complaint. Coaches love praising those players for their willingness to put team needs ahead of personal needs. It's no mystery why Steele and linebackers coach Travis Williams always have great things to say about Atkinson — he embodies the blue-collar spirit Auburn's defense aspires to possess.
