Tag: nakobe dean georgia

Former UGA LB Nakobe Dean responds to Shannon Sharpe’s shot at Kirby Smart

Nakobe Dean wasn’t having talk from Shannon Sharpe on Kirby Smart…

Kirby Smart took the stage at the SEC Media Days on Wednesday and spoke about the impacts of NIL (Name, image and likeness) on college football and how it has effected Georgia football specifically.

“What’s good is NIL is good on the basis of what NIL is based on, okay? For Dan Jackson to be a walk-on from Gainesville, Georgia, come in and get an opportunity to earn money for his education, that is good. For a young man that has a father that’s on dialysis in south Georgia and he can’t support his father unless he goes back and works or he gets NIL, that is good.

We have 95 players right now with NIL deals that are on our roster. That’s incredible, the depth of that. There’s so much good there.

It’s the guardrails. It’s the parameters that we need to protect our game. Not only protect our game, guys, it’s protect young men, okay?

We may have had the highest-paid defensive lineman last year in NIL in Jordan Davis. We had the highest-paid tight end in Brock Bowers. Kelee Ringo I would argue is probably one of the highest-paid corners there is in NIL. So NIL can be a good thing and they can learn to manage money at a young age.”

NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe was critical of Smart’s comments and outlook on NIL on his daily show ‘Undisputed’ on Fox Sports 1.

 

“We arguably had the highest-paid defensive lineman, the highest-paid tight end, and probably the highest-paid cornerback in the NIL market”, Smart said.” I would rival anyone in the country with 95 NIL deals coming off a national championship.”

Former Georgia linebacker, 2021 Butkus Award winner and 2022 NFL draft pick, Nakobe Dean, responded to Sharpe’s comments on Twitter.

Like everything in college football right now, NIL is not so simple.

Watch: Philadelphia Eagles rookies Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean give special breakdown

Eagles rookies Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean are all smiles…

Georgia football draft picks, now Philadelphia Eagles rookies, Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean, are all smiles during a tour of NFL Films.

You can watch their breakdown here. 

Davis, the No. 13 overall pick in this year’s draft, is coming off one of the best seasons we’ve ever seen from an interior Georgia defensive lineman.

The Charlotte, N.C., native’s trophy list speaks for itself: 2021 Outland Trophy, 2021 Chuck Bednarik Award Winner, 2021 All-America First Team, All-SEC First Team.

Teammate Dean, a Horn Lake, Miss., native was arguably just as good as the mind and motor of UGA’s record-breaking defense. Although he dropped to the No. 83 overall pick thanks to false health rumors. Dean’s trophy case is something to note as well: 2021 Butkus Award Winner All-America First Team, Captain, 2021 AFCA Good Works Team, All-SEC First Team.

Both Davis and Dean will have an opportunity to play key roles on the Eagles defense.

 

 

Georgia LB Nakobe Dean receives NFL player comparison

A big-time comparison for Georgia’s Nakobe Dean…

Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean was one of the best defensive players in the entire country in UGA’s national title season.

Dean won the Butkus Award, given to the nation’s top linebacker, and was named All-America First Team and Captain of the 2021 AFCA Good Works Team.

Dean is now preparing for the 2022 NFL Combine which will run March 1-7.

NFL draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah recently gave Dean an NFL player comparison while on a call with media:

“Nakobe Dean, I remember (Jonathan) Vilma when he first came into the league and I remember during the scouting process and something that people had concerns about size or this, that or the other and the guy was just dripping with instincts,” Jeremiah said. “Everything was so natural to him. He saw things and was two steps ahead of everybody on the field. That’s who Nakobe Dean reminds me of.”

Dean finished the 2021 season with 72 total tackles, 36 solo tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, two interceptions, five pass deflections, two forced fumbles and one defensive touchdown. In his Bulldogs career, Dean had 168 total tackles, 89 solo tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, two interceptions, seven pass deflections, three forced fumbles and one defensive touchdown.

“When you talk about the center of your defense and having that intelligence, the toughness, the leadership, he’s got all that stuff in spades, Jeremiah said. “I think he’s outstanding. He can cover. You see him mirror backs. He’s a real crafty blitzer. In my notes I wrote this guy does everything fast. There’s nothing he does that isn’t fast. He’s probably the greatest disparity in terms of how I have a guy graded and where I have him going because I can’t get a feel for where he’s going to go in the first round. He’s a top-10 player for me.”

The 2022 draft will be held April 28-30.

Georgia WR Arik Gilbert named PFF first-team All-SEC

Georgia WR Arik Gilbert named PFF first-team All-SEC

Pro Football Focus (PFF) recently released its preseason All-SEC selections for the upcoming 2021 season.

Georgia football is represented by first-team selection, LSU transfer Arik Gilbert at receiver, along with four other first-team selections in defensive back Tykee Smith, senior guard Justin Shaffer, senior linebacker Nakobe Dean and senior punter Jake Camarda.

Gilbert played tight end at LSU but is officially listed as a receiver on UGA’s roster.

A former five-star recruit out of Marietta, Ga., Gilbert signed with Georgia after a solid freshman season at LSU where he caught 35 passes for 368 yards and two touchdowns in eight games played.

A more telling stat is Gilbert’s ability to win jump balls, something that the Bulldogs will be missing without star receiver George Pickens – who’s out indefinitely with an ACL tear.

So at least on the surface, UGA may be able to plug-and-play Gilbert while Pickens rests up for a possible championship run.

Check out some of Gilbert’s freshman highlights here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PStpR8uAlc

 

And see the full list of PFF’s All-SEC selections here.

 

UGA linebacker named breakout player for 2020 season

Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Nakobe Dean has been named a defensive breakout player heading into the 2020 college football season.

Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Nakobe Dean has been named a defensive breakout player heading into the 2020 college football season. ESPN and SEC Network Analyst Cole Cubelic named Dean one of the SEC’s breakout players for the upcoming season.

We have to agree with Cubelic here. Nakobe Dean is an impressive athlete with excellent awareness. Dean is great at recognizing plays and has elite speed.

Here’s an example of some of Dean’s best traits. He quickly diagnoses the hand-off to the wide receiver on this play and gets out on the edge, forcing Auburn to settle for a short gain.

Dean will benefit from the departure of New York Giants linebacker Tae Crowder. Dean should have more opportunity this season. He impressed whenever he played last season.

Cubelic puts Mohamoud Diabate, Christian Barmore, Nakobe Dean, Damone Clark and Christian Tutt as his top five SEC defensive breakout players in 2020.

Who else from Georgia will breakout on defense next season? I think one of the top candidates in the country is Nolan Smith. Smith is a former five-star recruit, who flashed immense ability as a true freshman last season. Look for Smith to be a dominant force along with Azeez Ojulari.

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