Why UGA Football Linebacker CJ Allen Is Bound For a Breakout 2024 Season
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ATHENS - It takes a truly special player to play middle linebacker at the University of Georgia.
Not everyone can do it. It comes with a lot of pressure, but it’s a position that breeds success.
It’s like being the shortstop for the New York Yankees. The shooting guard for the LA Lakers. The quarterback of the Green Bay Packers.
Everyone knows who Georgia’s middle linebacker is. From Butkus winners Roquan Smith and Nakobe Dean, to Tae Crowder and Monty Rice, to Quay Walker and Channing Tindall, and now Smeal Mondon, it's a position earned by the best of the best.
If you play middle linebacker for Glenn Schumann, you’ll become a better player. Quickly. It doesn’t work out for everyone, but whoever mans the middle of Georgia’s defense has to be one hell of a player.
Returning starter Smael Mondon coming back is a big deal, but 2024 could be a true breakout season for sophomore CJ Allen, who started five games last year as a freshman. He ended the season with 41 tackles and one sack.
Raylen Wilson should also see the field more in 2024, and the same goes for Troy Bowles, but right now, Allen appears to be in the best position to secure the other starting middle linebacker jobs.
Allen was named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week twice last year after wins over Ole Miss and Georgia Tech.
Georgia Bulldog head coach Kirby Smart had a lot to say about Allen after his big performance against the Rebels.
On C.J. Allen's performance against Ole Miss...
“He played exactly like I expected. He's already played this year; he's played, I think, almost every game. He's smart, intelligent, instinctive, athletic, great kid. So, he did what he's supposed to do, and he can play better, and he'll get even better this week.”
The 6-foot-1 235-pounder has plenty of physical traits, but he learned more and more as the season went along. He saw the field a lot last year for a reason and should see even more of it next fall.
With Allen’s help, the Bulldog defense allowed just 15.6 points per game last year which was 5th best nationally. He’s still a young pup, but he’s growing fast, and he could be bound for a gigantic sophomore year if he continues to develop the right way over the next several months.
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