Nakobe Dean Wins the Butkus Award
Georgia junior Nakobe Dean has become the second Bulldog to win the Butkus Award, given to the nation’s best collegiate linebacker.
Dean, a native of Horn Lake, Miss., garnered 34 percent of the weighted vote and 52 percent of the first-place votes to secure the award. He was chosen from the other finalists consisting of Utah’s Devin Lloyd, Wisconsin’s Leo Chenal, LSU’s Damone Clark, Cincinnati’s Darrian Beavers and Wyoming’s Chad Muma, according to an announcement from the Butkus Foundation.
Dean joins Roquan Smith (2017) as the two Bulldogs to win the Butkus Award in its 37-year history since 1985. There have been four other Bulldog finalists in five different years in recent history, including Monty Rice (2020), Leonard Floyd (2015), Jarvis Jones (2011, 2012) and Justin Houston (2010).
Capturing the high school award in 2018, Dean joins only Manti Te’o and Jaylon Smith as the only players to win both the national high school and collegiate trophies.
“Nakobe Dean is a playmaker with a special combination of strength, coverage ability, playmaking flair and leadership skill,” according to the award selection committee. “He consistently makes his presence felt on the field and in the community, elevates the defense with his command and is a complete linebacker who has made a tremendous impact on Georgia’s program.”
Also a member of the 2021 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team and a finalist for the Wuerffel Trophy, Dean is tied for the team lead with 61 stops, including a team-high 8.5 tackles for loss and five sacks, and has two forced fumbles. In addition, he has two of the team’s interceptions this season, including a 50-yard pick-six versus Florida.
Dean has been the “field general” to a Bulldog squad that leads the country in Scoring Defense (9.5 points/game) and Red Zone Defense (60 percent), is second in Total Defense (254.4 yards/game) and ranks third nationally in Passing Yards Allowed (172.7 y/g) and in Rushing Defense (81.7 y/g).
WBB: Dawgs lose by one to Tech
The No. 20-ranked Georgia Lady Bulldog basketball fell to Georgia Tech 55-54 Sunday afternoon at Stegeman Coliseum.
The Lady Bulldogs drop to 7-1 on the season. The Yellow Jackets improve to 6-2.
Morrison led all scorers tonight with 15, reaching the 1,000-point total for her career. Overall, Georgia’s offense shot 36 percent from the field and 50 percent from behind the arc – a season high.
“Number one, Georgia Tech is a really good team,” shared head coach Joni Taylor. “They are very well coached and extremely talented. We knew it was going to be a grind. We are similar in a lot of ways and different in some others, but credit to them for coming in and taking care of their business.”
After a slow offensive start, a pair of jumpers from Morrison and Reigan Richardson sparked the Lady Bulldogs. At the 1:05 mark, Mikayla Coombs finished a quick passing move to give Georgia two more. Richardson led Georgia scorers with five points in the first, but the Lady Bulldogs ended the quarter down 13-9.
A Morrison jumper gave Georgia their first lead of the afternoon, going up 16-15. The veteran guard went on to score seven second quarter points, including two free throws to put the Lady Bulldogs ahead 25-23 at halftime.
The Georgia offense found rhythm in the third quarter, outscoring the Yellow Jackets 11-0 in the opening three minutes to build A layup by Morrison at the 6:24 mark secured her place in the 1000-point club. The Lady Bulldogs entered the fourth quarter up 43-38.
Georgia Tech reclaimed the lead late in the fourth quarter. Sarah Ashlee Barker hit a three-pointer with four seconds remaining to cut the Yellow Jacket lead to one point. A missed jumper as time expired saw the Lady Bulldogs drop their first game of the season.
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