Nakobe Dean wins Butkus Award as best linebacker in College Football
Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean was announced as the winner of the 2021 Butkus Award on Sunday, given annually to the best linebacker in all of College Football. He beat out other finalists Darrian Beavers (Cincinnati), Leo Chenal (Wisconsin), Damone Clark (LSU), Devin Lloyd (Utah) and Chad Muma (Wyoming).
“He’s one of the best linebackers in the country,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said about Dean after the Horn Lake, Miss. native was announced as a finalist a couple of weeks back. “If the award is based on statistics and number of snaps, shame on the award. That’s not what it’s about. It’s supposed to go to the best linebacker in the country.”
“I’ve been very fortunate to coach guys before that have won that, at multiple places. He’s in that same category of guys,” he continued. “It’s tough because I think Quay (Walker) and Channing (Tindall) are deserving of it. You know what’s great about those three guys? They just want to win, and that’s what has been special about this team. As these accolades, awards, and finalist have come out, those guys aren’t worried about any of it. They are worried about winning a championship. I think Nakobe would tell you before anybody on the team, it’s a whole lot more important about how he grows, plays, and continues to lead our team, than just about that award. He’s one of the most explosive, best blitzing linebackers, smartest, that I’ve seen. Quay and Channing both have really good strengths too. They complement each other really well. All three of them.”
Dean joins Roquan Smith as the only other Georgia player to win the Butkus Award after Smith did so in 2017. Smith finished that season making an astounding 137 stops with 14.0 for loss including 6.5 sacks. He also joins Notre Dame stars Manti Te’o and Jaylon Smith as the only players to win the award both in high school and college. This year’s high school Butkus Award finalists include Georgia commit Jalon Walker.
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Through 13 games, Dean is tied for the team-high in tackles with 61, including 8.5 for loss. Of those, five have beens sacks, which is also tied for the team-high. Furthermore, Dean has two interceptions, one of which he returned 50 yards for a touchdown against Florida in a 34-7 win over the Gators.
He’ll have at least one more game to add to that total as Dean and the Dawgs were announced as one of the top four teams in the country on Sunday as well. It’s just the second time that the Bulldogs have made the College Football Playoffs, coincidentally with the other appearance coming during Smith’s Butkus Award-winning 2017 season. Georgia will play No. 2 Michigan in the Capital One Orange Bowl in Miami, Fla. on December 31 with a spot in the national championship on the line.
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