Georgia LB CJ Allen: The Secret STAR of the 2026 NFL Draft

AtoZ Sports

C.J. Allen, Georgia's rising linebacker, is quickly gaining recognition as a future NFL star and potential top 2026 draft pick. In this video, Joe DeLeone and Ryan Roberts break down CJ Allen’s highlights, showcasing why he's a dominant force on the field. Could CJ Allen be the next Butkus Award winner? Dive in and discover why he's one of the most underrated defensive prospects in college football.

Transcript

00:00C.J. Allen isn't getting the attention he deserves, but that might change fast.

00:05Could the 2026 NFL Draft's biggest breakout come from a linebacker?

00:09Stay tuned to find out why we think he is the best player that you need to know.

00:17Ryan, I'm all in on C.J. Allen, the Georgia linebacker.

00:21How do you have him graded in this 2026 class?

00:25I think he's going to be a first-round pick, Joe.

00:26I think he is Roquan Smith all over again for Georgia fans out there.

00:32I think the body type is similar.

00:33I think the athleticism, the range is similar.

00:36This kid is a pretty easy evaluation.

00:38I know some people are going to look at his size and kind of have question marks there,

00:41but the range, the instincts, it's all there to be a really good player, man.

00:46He's one of my highest-rated players at the current moment,

00:49and we were having a little bit of a discussion last night about a different player,

00:54and I brought up, we were talking about Kayla Banks,

00:57and I brought up how Kayla Banks is one of the few guys that I was like,

01:00whoa, C.J. Allen is the other guy,

01:03and I don't think I can name anyone else where I watched their tape

01:06and I was just completely blown away.

01:09The instincts that you just talked about, it is very reminiscent of Roquan Smith.

01:12I think the one thing that shines for me is the explosiveness

01:16and the burst that he's able to generate in short areas.

01:20He's not going to be a 4-4 guy in terms of long speed.

01:24His instincts make up for that,

01:26but the way that he's able to just explode through ball carriers,

01:30explode through blockers, clear space for himself,

01:33and then finish plays, that is the dangerousness.

01:36He is exactly what I think that the modern-day inside linebacker is in the NFL,

01:42and if he ends up being a top-10 pick like Roquan Smith was,

01:47like Devin White was, I wouldn't be stunned

01:49because he checks every single box that we look for in a linebacker prospect.

01:54Well, I do think he's the modern Mike

01:55because he's a very interesting player

01:57because he has range to play outside of the tackle box,

02:00outside of the numbers,

02:01but he is also physical and a downhill player

02:04where he, even with a lighter box,

02:07he is able to be a plus run defender very early on in his career

02:11because he plays with reckless abandon to a degree,

02:14but he also comes to balance and has a power profile

02:17to be able to knock dudes back both at the point of attack

02:20and as a tackler.

02:21So I didn't really think he is just a very well-rounded football player.

02:25There are some things that I necessarily wouldn't ask him to do in a defense,

02:28but for that modern Mike linebacker role

02:31who's going to be super physical

02:32and have to play outside of the numbers when he has to,

02:34I think that he can do anything

02:35that a team will want him to do from that position.

02:38Right. I'm not really asking him to cover a ton of range

02:42and a ton of space.

02:43He's compact.

02:44If that was the one weakness to identify

02:47is that he's not very big.

02:49He doesn't have a lot of length.

02:50I was listening to a clip of one of Miami,

02:54one of the Dolphins defensive coaches

02:56was talking about how the big emphasis now

02:59is the best teams have speed

03:01and they have explosiveness.

03:04Best defenders.

03:05You can find success and create success

03:08with a room full of athletes on defense.

03:10And I think that despite him being smaller,

03:13that build that he brings to the linebacker position,

03:16I think produces more success

03:18because he can fly all over the place

03:20and he can really command between the tackles

03:23as a team's Mike linebacker.

03:25The ceiling is just tremendously high for him

03:27to be a tackle leader,

03:29to be a presence,

03:31a communication piece within a defense.

03:34There's just so much

03:35that you can get out of C.J. Allen.

03:37He, to me,

03:38there's a shot that he slides

03:40and goes later

03:40than I'm pushing out here right now, Ryan.

03:43But he, to me,

03:44is one of the prospects

03:45that I can say at this current moment

03:46before the season starts

03:47that I feel will end up

03:49still being a first-round pick.

03:51Yeah, no,

03:51I think his floor is pretty good

03:53for the position.

03:54He's obviously been a mainstay

03:55for the Georgia Bulldogs

03:56for multiple years.

03:57I mean, he was so good as a freshman,

03:59he basically pushed

04:00Jermon Dumas Johnson out

04:01and he ended up transferring

04:03to Kentucky, right?

04:03So, like, he was so good

04:04early on in his career.

04:05I think the only thing

04:06that is really a drawback to him,

04:08and you mentioned a little bit,

04:09outside of the length, though,

04:11I do think that he is,

04:12he's more linearly explosive

04:14than I would say

04:14that he's, like,

04:15change-of-direction guy.

04:17Like, I do think

04:17that he's a little bit tight

04:18in that capacity.

04:19So, I do think

04:20there are some limitations

04:21as far as just his impact

04:22on passing downs.

04:23But I agree with you, man.

04:24Like, this kid's a starting

04:25Mike linebacker in the NFL

04:26very early on in his career,

04:28and I would not be surprised

04:28if he ends up developing

04:30to a pro bowler.

04:31Going quickly

04:32into his background

04:34in the 2023 class,

04:36he was a four-star recruit,

04:37so he wasn't even

04:38one of the biggest names

04:39in that amazing Georgia

04:41recruiting class in 2023.

04:43Number four linebacker,

04:4548 overall prospect

04:46coming out of Barnesville, Georgia,

04:50and in high school,

04:51interestingly enough,

04:52he was a basketball player

04:54as well.

04:54Average 7.7 points per game

04:56as a junior in high school

04:58playing basketball.

05:00I don't know what position.

05:01I would assume

05:01he was a point guard.

05:03But still,

05:04he is a former

05:05multi-sport athlete.

05:06He also ran track,

05:08ran 23.58 in the 200.

05:10So, this dude

05:11has added a splay

05:13of athleticism

05:14from high school

05:15up until now.

05:16Yeah, I mean,

05:17his high school highlight tape

05:18was pretty fun.

05:18If you want to go back

05:19and just Google

05:20C.J. Allen Huddle highlights,

05:21he was probably,

05:22I think Joe said

05:23he was listed at like 217.

05:24I would have guessed

05:25he was about 220,

05:26like somewhere in that ballpark.

05:27But, just range, man.

05:28Like, he's explosive,

05:29blitzing from multiple spots,

05:31playing range from the inside,

05:32working himself out.

05:33So, it's not surprising

05:34that he's developed

05:35into a really good linebacker.

05:37He's very different

05:37than what they've had,

05:38honestly, recently at Georgia

05:40because they've had

05:41more of those

05:41longer,

05:43more explosive

05:44inside linebackers

05:45the last couple years.

05:45You think about like

05:46Quay Walker,

05:47you think about Smile Munden.

05:48This is more in the

05:49N'Kobe Dean

05:50type of style

05:52as far as like

05:52body type wise.

05:53But he's obviously

05:54a much more explosive athlete

05:55than when N'Kobe Dean

05:56was coming out.

05:57So, he's more of that

05:58dense, physical guy

05:59and he's now developed

06:00into one of the biggest leaders

06:01on this Georgia team

06:02heading into 2025.

06:04Folks, comment below

06:06how early you would draft

06:07CJ Allen.

06:08Hit that like button

06:09and subscribe.

06:10We'll be back with more.

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