2021 Football Roster
Nakobe Dean
- Position:
- ILB
- Height:
- 6-0
- Weight:
- 225
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- Horn Lake, Miss.
- High School:
- Horn Lake
*** 2021 Butkus Award Winner ***
*** All-America First Team - Associated Press, Walter Camp, AFCA, Sporting News, USA Today, ESPN, The Athletic, CBS ***
*** Captain, 2021 AFCA Good Works Team ***
Career Highs
* 15 Tackles vs. Florida, 2020
* 2.0 Tackles for Loss vs. four teams (recent: Michigan, 2021)
* 2.0 QB Sacks vs. Clemson, 2021
* 5 QB Pressures vs. Michigan, 2021
* 1 INT vs. Auburn, Florida, 2021
2021: AP & Coaches’ All-SEC 1st Team...SEC Defensive Player of the Year by Pro Football Focus (PFF)...one of four permanent team captains, as voted by teammates...semifinalist for the 2021 Chuck Bednarik Award, given to the outstanding defensive player of the year...also a finalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, which goes annually to college football’s Defensive Player of the Year but also gives equal weight to personal character...named captain of the 2021 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, chosen for their commitment to community service...started at ILB in all 15 games and finished the season with 72 total tackles...led the Bulldogs in tackles for loss with 10.5 and was second on team in QB sacks (6.0)...also finished with 31 QB hurries and six pass breakups...second on team with two INTs...named to Mid-Season All-America Team by The Sporting News...stat line in Capital One Orange Bowl win over Michigan: 7 tackles, 2.0 TFL (ties career best), 1.0 QB sack, 5 QB Pressures (career high), 1 Forced Fumble...outstanding in win at Tennessee, leading the team with 11 tackles (1 QB sack), a forced fumble and a pass breakup...had five tackles, two QB pressures and his first career interception in win at #18 Auburn...seven tackles (including one in punt coverage) and a pick-six for a 50-yard TD return in win over Florida...seven tackles in win over #11 Kentucky, including a stop for a 5-yard loss on a Wildcat screen pass...named one of three team captains for the Kentucky and Tennessee games...had five tackles, including a pair of QB sacks for -14 yards in Georgia’s win over #3 Clemson...also had four QB hurries vs. the Tigers...included on pre-season watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Award, given annually to the nation’s top collegiate defensive player...also on pre-season watch list for the Wuerffel Trophy, which goes to the player “who best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement”...pre-season All-SEC Third Team, as voted by the league’s 14 head coaches.
2020: Semifinalist for the Butkus Award, which recognizes the nation’s best linebacker...made great progress in his second season...started all 10 games and played 76 percent of Georgia’s total defensive snaps in the regular season, tops among linebackers...the Bulldogs' leading tackler with 71 total stops and 13 QB pressures...career-high 15 tackles vs. Florida, 14 stops in the Bulldogs' win at Kentucky and 12 more in victory over Mississippi State...team-high seven stops in Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl win over Cincinnati...also had four QB pressures vs. the Bearcats...one of his seven tackles was a key 2nd-down stop on UC's final drive...had four tackles and a QB pressure in win over Auburn...three solo stops and a QB pressure vs. Tennessee...led team in tackles with a then-career-best seven stops, including an assisted tackle for a 2-yard loss vs. Arkansas...also credited with two QB pressures vs. the Razorbacks...had five stops, including a QB sack for a 7-yard loss, and three QB pressures vs. Alabama...earned a spot on the SEC Academic Honor Roll for Fall 2020.
2019: Co-winner of Defensive Newcomer of the Year award, given at team’s post-season awards gala...played in all 14 games and finished with 25 total stops, including 1.5 tackles for loss...solo TFL came in Sugar Bowl win over Baylor...one of four Bulldogs to have a team-high six tackles in shutout of Kentucky..also forced a fumble on a UK punt return...had two tackles and a QB pressure vs. Florida...three solo tackles and a pass breakup vs. Georgia Tech...also had a QB pressure vs. Arkansas State...enrolled at UGA in January and participated in Spring drills...had five tackles in the annual G-Day intrasquad game...Named by National Football Foundation as a member of its inaugural “Team of Distinction,” recognizing high school scholar-athletes for their combination of athletic and academic performances, as well as service to their communities.
High School: Horn Lake HS, coached by Brad Boyette...2018 High School Butkus Award winner as the nation’s top prep LB...selected for the 2019 Under Armour All-America Game...chosen as the 2018-19 Gatorade High School Football Player in Mississippi... USA Today All-USA first team and listed at No. 15 on the USA Today pre-season Chosen 25...247Sports.com five-star prospect...ranked as the #1 ILB nationally, #14 overall prospect nationally and the #1 prospect in Mississippi...PrepStar Magazine four-star prospect, #13 nationally and a member of the Top 150 Dream Team...Rivals.com five-star prospect, ranked #19 nationally, #1 ILB and #1 in Mississippi...ESPN.com four-star prospect, #23 nationally, #3 OLB, #11 in the Southeast and #1 in Mississippi...Led Horn Lake to a 15-0 season, No. 1 state ranking and the 2018 MHSAA Class 6A State title, the first in Horn Lake’s history...2018 Mississippi Mr. Football for Class 6A...2018 National Lineman of the Year by the Touchdown Club of Atlanta...had 175 total tackles, along with 26 tackles for loss, seven sacks, three INTs and two forced fumbles as a senior...also had nine TDs as an RB for the Eagles...selected to represent the Team Elite team in Nike’s The Opening 2018 Finals...tallied 147 total stops, 25 TFLs and nine sacks as a junior...racked up 438 total tackles, 61.5 tackles for loss, 18 sacks, six INTs and 12 total TDs in his Horn Lake career...also competed on varsity baseball, basketball and track teams at different points in high school.
Personal: Full name NAKOBE RASHOD DEAN...major: Mechanical Engineering...recipient of the Ken and Jody Jackson Family Scholarship, as well as the Ramsey Scholarship for Academic & Athletic Excellence...older brother, Nikolas, played tight end at Ole Miss.
