Identifying the Georgia defender in line for breakout season in 2024

Under Kirby Smart, the Georgia Bulldogs have been known for their deep and dominant defenses. Heading into 2024, that’s the expectation but new players are going to need to step up to find that continued success.

While appearing on Andy Staples On3, Jake Rowe from DawgsHQ pointed to CJ Allen at linebacker as one of the key figures who could be in line for a breakout season on the Georgia defense.

“You know, CJ Allen, you didn’t hear much about him to begin with,” Jake Rowe said. “CJ kind of looks like, if you just watch him. If you just say, ‘I’ve got my eyes on,’ he was number 33 last year, he’s number three this year, you see a guy that almost looks a little like an old school linebacker.”

CJ Allen came to Georgia as a four-star recruit in the Class of 2023, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. He was also the sixth-ranked linebacker in the class and the 76th-ranked player overall in that class.

Allen played in all 14 games as a freshman. In those games, he made 41 tackles. Of those, 2.5 were tackles for a loss and he also had a sack.

“He seems to be carrying about 230, 235 lbs. He looks like a downhill thumper, but he’s a fantastic athlete. Played running back in high school. He’s really good. I think he kind of struggled adjusting to some of the nuances of the position last year and you saw some bad run fits. Like, you go back to that Tennessee game when they broke the 75-yard run on the first play of that game, he runs himself completely out of the play,” Rowe said.

“Well, he’s gained a lot of confidence this spring as a run defender but he’s also a very, very good pass defender, and that’s something that’s really started to come out with him, especially in these scrimmage settings.”

Evaluating Georgia’s defensive depth going into 2024 season

The Georgia defense still has plenty of depth. However, even with players like CJ Allen ready to break out, it may not be as deep as it was in previous seasons.

“It’s marginal but it’s still important and I don’t know if that’s almost oxymoronic to say that, but you’re talking about a player or two and that can mean a lot. Your depth is younger than it’s ever been … You got four defensive tackles or you know, five defensive tackles, you know, you’re your fifth or sixth guy that’s gonna play 10 to 12 snaps a game for you is going to be a freshman, redshirt-freshman. That’s just the way it is… In today’s college football he’s just not going to do it. He’s gonna go somewhere and play some ball and get drafted high,” Rowe said.

“I think that what you’re seeing from Georgia, they brought in a big D-line class this past year, you know, speaking to that position specifically. They’re not going to be as deep and as experienced as they were, especially in 2021. 2021 was just a unicorn type of year. That team had four first round defensive linemen on it. I don’t know if we’ll ever see that again until the portal stuff is reined in completely, and you start paying these guys and getting them on two or three-year contracts or whatever.”