Tag: Azeez Ojulari Georgia

Giants reveal jersey number for former UGA OLB Azeez Ojulari

The New York Giants have revealed the rookie jersey number for former Georgia football OLB Azeez Ojulari.

On Thursday evening, the New York Giants announced the signing of former Georgia outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari.

The same night, New York also revealed which jersey number the second round draft selection will be wearing in 2021, Ojulari’s rookie season.

The former four-star recruit out of Marietta will be donning the No. 51 in New York. He wore No. 13 during his playing days at UGA.

In 2020, Ojulari had the best season of his Georgia career. In 10 games, he had 31 total tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks (led SEC), 2 pass deflections, 1 fumble recovery and 4 forced fumbles. That is one of the best defensive performances that Georgia has seen in one season.

Ojulari, the No. 50 overall pick in the 2021 draft, joins fellow former UGA linebackers Lorenzo Carter and Tae Crowder in New York.

We also got our first look of Ojulari while at the Giants’ rookie minicamp on Friday.

 

NY Giants sign former Georgia Bulldog Azeez Ojulari

The NY Giants officially announced the signing of 2021 NFL draft pickĀ and former Georgia football OLB Azeez Ojulari on Thursday evening.

The New York Giants officially announced the signing of 2021 NFL draft pick and former Georgia outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari on Thursday evening.

Ojulari, a second round selection in last month’s draft, stands to earn roughly $6,774,904 over the next four years, per Spotrac.com.

He’ll receive a signing bonus of $2,287,20.

Ojulari, the No. 50 overall pick in the 2021 draft, joins fellow former UGA linebackers Lorenzo Carter and Tae Crowder in New York.

Georgia had nine players selected in the draft, with Ojulari being the first to sign his contract.

Ojulari came to UGA in 2018. That season he redshirted, seeing time against Middle Tennessee, Georgia Tech and Texas in the Sugar Bowl.Ā In 2019, Ojulari made his name heard. He played in every game ā€” starting 13 ā€” and had 33 total tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, a team-best 5.5 sacks and a team-high 34 quarterback pressures. He was the co-winner of the Defensive Most Improved player at the teamā€™s postseason awards gala.

In 2020, he had the best season of his career. In 10 games, Ojulari had 31 total tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks (led SEC), 2 pass deflections, 1 fumble recovery and 4 forced fumbles. That is one of the best defensive performances that Georgia has seen in one season.

Azeez Ojulari UGA highlights – a projected first round NFL Draft pick

Highlights of Georgia football OLB Azeez Ojulari, a projected first round pick in this week’s NFL Draft.

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Azeez Ojulari came to UGA in 2018. That season he redshirted, seeing time against Middle Tennessee, Georgia Tech and Texas in the Sugar Bowl.Ā In 2019, Ojulari made his name heard. He played in every game ā€” starting 13 ā€” and had 33 total tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, a team-best 5.5 sacks and a team-high 34 quarterback pressures. He was the co-winner of the Defensive Most Improved player at the teamā€™s postseason awards gala.

In 2020, he had the best season of his career. In 10 games, Ojulari had 31 total tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks (led SEC), 2 pass deflections, 1 fumble recovery and 4 forced fumbles. That is one of the best defensive performances that Georgia has seen in one season.

Azeez came up big for the Dawgs in the 2021 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, going for three sacks, a forced fumble and a safety to end the game. Georgia most likely loses that game if not for Ojulari making some of those highlight plays.

Now he’s projected as a first round pick in this week’s NFL Draft.

PFF compares Ojulari to Baltimore Ravens defensive end Yannick Ngakoue. Ngakoue is a smaller defensive end, who uses his explosiveness, size, and technique to win as a pass rusher. Azeez Ojulari is similar to Ngakoue in all of these respects.

Ojulari will look to make a large impact in the NFL like the Ravens defensive end, Yannick Ngakoue, who has recorded 45.5 sacks in five NFL seasons. On a similar note, Ojulari will try to continue his impressive production (15.5 sacks in two seasons as a starter) at the NFL level.

He also ranks No. 24 on ESPN’s “best available” list.

From Todd McShay:

ā€œOjulari has good size, speed and bend, (and) I really like his first-step burst when pass-rushing, and his instincts are advanced,ā€ McShay wrote. ā€œHe is definitely better as a pass-rusher than in coverage, but he does have pretty good range underneath when asked to drop back.ā€

Take a look at these highlights of Ojulari’s career as a disruptive edge rusher for the Georgia Bulldogs.

https://youtu.be/3-sGhDIHIXY

One Georgia Bulldog goes in the first-round of USA TODAY’s latest NFL mock draft

Here’s what Georgia Bulldog was taken in the USA TODAY’s latest NFL mock draft.

The USA TODAY’s Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire recently released his first NFL mock draft of the year and there is one Georgia Bulldog on the lineup.

That’s star linebacker, 2020 Peach Bowl MVP, Azeez Ojulari. The 2020 SEC sack leader is projected to land with the Tennessee Titans at pick No. 22 in the first-round.

In 27 games at Georgia, Ojulari racked up 71 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 14 sacks and five forced fumbles. And in 2020, his most dominant season, was named a finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award, given to the nation’s best defensive player, and earned second team All-SEC honors by both the Associated Press and the league’s coaches.

Ojulari would be a great fit for the Titans, who have a good young defensive coach in Mike Vrabel and run a 3-4 scheme similar to what Ojulari played in under coach Kirby Smart and defensive coordinator Dan Lanning at Georgia.

If Ojulari can pick up in the NFL where he left off in the Bulldogs Peach Bowl win over Cincinnati, he’ll be a star wherever he lands.

Ojulari and the rest of the NFL Draft-bound Bulldogs will look to boost their draft stock during the Georgia pro day scheduled for March 17th.

The draft is scheduled for Thursday, April 29 to Saturday, May 1 on NFL Network and ESPN.

 

Georgia football OLB Azeez Ojulari jumps in Todd McShay’s NFL Draft rankings

Georgia Bulldogs OLB Azeez Ojulari is now in Todd McShay’s top-32 players for the 2021 NFL Draft.

Former Georgia outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari has crawled his way into Todd McShay’s top-32 players for the 2021 NFL Draft.

Ojulari checks in at No. 29, one behind Alabama quarterback Mac Jones.

ā€œOjulari has good size, speed and bend, (and) I really like his first-step burst when pass-rushing, and his instincts are advanced,ā€ McShay wrote. ā€œHe is definitely better as a pass-rusher than in coverage, but he does have pretty good range underneath when asked to drop back.ā€

In 2020, Ojulari, a former four-star recruit from Marietta, Ga., racked up 31 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, two pass break ups, 29 quarterback pressures and finished first in the SEC in sacks with nine.

Perhaps the most dominant performance of Ojulariā€™s short career in Athens was his three sack performance versus Cincinnati in the Peach Bowl that earned him Peach Bowl MVP honors.

Georgia LB Azeez Ojulari named in PFF College top 101

Pro Football Focus (PFF) recently released their list of the top 101 college players of the 2020 season. Details here

Pro Football Focus (PFF) recently released its list of the top 101 college players of the 2020 season and Georgia football is represented by star linebacker Azeez Ojulari at No. 31.

The redshirt sophomore has forgone his remaining years of eligibility andĀ  declared for the 2021 NFL Draft after a monster season for the Bulldogs.

Jan 1, 2021; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Azeez Ojulari (13) celebrates after a sack against the Cincinnati Bearcats in the second half of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

In 2020, Ojulari, a former four-star recruit from Marietta, Ga., racked up 31 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, two pass break ups, 29 quarterback pressures and finished first in the SEC in sacks with nine.

Perhaps the most dominant performance of Ojulari’s short career in Athens was his three sack performance versus Cincinnati in the Peach Bowl that earned him Peach Bowl MVP honors.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – JANUARY 01: Desmond Ritter #9 of the Cincinnati Bearcats passes against Azeez Ojulari #13 of the Georgia Bulldogs during Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 01, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham /Getty Images)

Ojulari is projected as high as a mid first-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft.

 

Make sure and check out the new episode of UGA Football Live with J.C. Shelton! This week I talk about Dawgs who are coming back for next season and give out more of our season superlatives. Listen here:

Georgia star Azeez Ojulari makes decision on NFL Draft

Georgia football star OLB Azeez Ojulari officially makes his decision regarding the 2021 NFL Draft.

Georgia football fans have seen a defensive star blossom right before their eyes over the past two season.Ā  Outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari, a Marietta, Georgia native, came to UGA in 2018.Ā  That season he redshirted, seeing time against Middle Tennessee, Georgia Tech and Texas in the Sugar Bowl.

In 2019, Ojulari made his name heard.Ā  He played in every game, starting thirteen, and had 33 total tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, a team-best 5.5 sacks and a team-high 34 quarterback pressures.Ā  He was the co-winner of the Defensive Most Improved player at the teamā€™s post-season awards gala.

In 2020, he had the season of his career.Ā  In just ten games, Ojulari had 31 total tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks (leads SEC), 2 pass deflections, 1 fumble recovery and 4 forced fumbles.Ā  That is one of the best defensive performances that Georgia has ever seen in one season.

Azeez came up big for the Dawgs in the 2021 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, going for three sacks, a forced fumble and a safety to end the game.Ā  Georgia most likely loses that game if not for Ojulari making some of those big highlight plays.

The redshirt-sophomore has decided to take the next steps in his football career and officially declare for the 2021 NFL Draft.

Ojulari announced his decision via Twitter, thanking god, his parents, coach Smart and his teammates for helping him achieve his goals.

A damn good Dawg that the Bulldog Nation will never forget.Ā  We wish No. 13 all the best in the next chapter of his football career.

UGA football names captains versus South Carolina

The Georgia Bulldogs have named their South Carolina game captains including running back Zamir White.

The Georgia Bulldogs have named their Week 10 captains ahead of the game against the South Carolina Gamecocks. The Dawgs named running back Zamir White, linebacker Channing Tindall, and linebacker Azeez Ojulari as captains for the night game.

This game is a big one for Channing Tindall, who played football at Spring Valley High School in Columbia, South Carolina before coming to the University of Georgia. Tindall and the Bulldogs will travel to Columbia to face South Carolina, who is 2-6 overall on the season.

The Gamecocks fired head coach Will Muschamp a few weeks ago and will have former Georgia Bulldog offensive coordinator Mike Bobo as their interim coach this week. The No. 9 ranked Georgia Bulldogs will look to add another blemish to Bobo’s squad.

South Carolina is absent several key defenders ahead of the game. A few South Carolina players opted out of the remaining games this year following Muschamp’s dismissal: linebacker/safety R.J. Roderick, defensive tackle Makius Scott, cornerback Jaycee Horn, and cornerback Israel Mukuamu all opted out for the Gamecocks.

In fact, Israel Mukuamu played the best game of his career against Georgia last season. Mukuamu intercepted Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm three times and returned one of them for a touchdown. Additionally, Jaycee Horn is projected to be a high 2021 NFL Draft pick.

Georgia football announced their captains via their official Twitter account:

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Pair of Georgia LBs make Butkus Award watch list

Two Georgia football LBs have been named to the Dick Butkus Award watch list for the 2020 college football season.

Georgia linebackers Azeez Ojulari and Monty Rice have recently been named to the 2020 Butkus Award watch list.

This award, named after legendary University of Illinois and Chicago Bears linebacker Dick Butkus, is given annually to college football’s most outstanding linebacker.

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Since the award’s origination in 1985, only one Bulldog has won it, that being Roquan Smith in 2017.Ā  Roquan coincidentally now starts at linebacker for the Chicago Bears.

The redshirt sophomore Ojulari saw time in eleven games in 2019, putting up 33 total tackles (14 solo), 5.5 sacks and one forced fumble.Ā  He is a rising star in the SEC and a notable defender to look out for this season.

Rising senior Monty Rice has been a staple in the Dawgs’ recent ferocious defense.Ā  It is no surprise that Rice is on this watch list.Ā  Rice saw time in 8 games his freshman year, 9 his sophomore year and played all 14 his junior year.Ā  He has racked up 170 total tackles (85 solo), 4 pass deflections, one sack and one forced fumble in his career at UGA.

These two will both play big roles in Georgia’s defense this year, a defense that ranked No. 1 in team defense in 2019.