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Kirby Smart Named Finalist for the 2025 Dodd Trophy
University of Georgia’s Kirby Smart has been named one of five finalists for the
2025 Dodd Trophy, officials from the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Inc. announced Wednesday.
Now in his 10th season at the helm, Smart and the Bulldogs enter the College Football Playoff (CFP) as the number three seed with a 12-1 mark. Georgia has won back-to-back Southeastern Conference titles and four total under Smart. He is the only coach in the CFP era to win two straight national titles, and his 117 wins is the most in NCAA FBS history in the modern era for a coach in his first 10 seasons.
Along with Smart, the finalists for the Dodd Trophy presented by PNC Bank, include Curt Cignetti (Indiana), Ryan Day (Ohio State), Clark Lea (Vanderbilt) and Joey McGuire (Texas Tech).
This marks Smart’s third selection as a finalist (2018, 2022), while Cignetti, Day, Lea and McGuire are all making their first appearance on the finalist list. The winner will be announced in Atlanta during bowl week at this year’s CFP Semifinal at Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
CJ Allen Named to The Sporting News All-America First Team
Georgia junior ILB CJ Allen has been named to The Sporting News All-America First Team, according to an announcement on Wednesday.
Allen, a native of Barnesville, Ga., is a Coaches First Team All-Southeastern Conference performer who was a finalist for both the Butkus Award and the Lott IMPACT Trophy this season. Allen led Georgia with 85 tackles and eight tackles for a loss in helping the Bulldogs allow just 15.9 points per game.
A number of Bulldogs have already been named to All-America teams. Senior P Brett Thorson has been included on the Walter Camp All-America First Team and Associated Press Second Team. Allen was also named to the AP All-America First Team and to the Second Team to the Walter Camp and American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). In addition, graduate SN Beau Gardner was included on the AFCA All-America First Team while redshirt junior C Drew Bobo garnered Second Team honors from the AFCA.
The Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) will release their All-America team later this week and the Consensus All-America list will be released by the NCAA on Friday.
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