Dan Lanning Tells the Story of How Nakobe Dean Ended Up a Georgia Bulldog

How linebacker Nakobe Dean ended up a Georgia Bulldog.

The Georgia Bulldogs have had some talented players flow through the program over the years and it has led to a record setting number of players be drafted into the NFL. One of those players is linebacker Nakobe Dean, who was part of the first national title winning team under Kirby Smart. Now he is lighting it up with the Philadelphia Eagles on Sundays.

The Bulldogs have been known for recruiting some of the nation's top linebackers and for developing them along the way as well. Former Georgia defensive coordinator and current Oregon head coach Dan Lanning helped with that.

Lanning recently joined The Inner Circle podcast, which features former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan and All-Pro defensive lineman Aaron Donald. Ryan asked Lanning if he could take any defensive player from any of his stops as a coach, who it would be, and Lanning's answer might surprise some.

"I'm about to piss off a lot of people man," Lanning said. "I'll give you one that I got to see do some things last night. That I was really proud of. I remember when we were recruiting him from Horn Lake Mississippi, Kirby [Smart] said I'll kiss your ass if you get that guy to leave Mississippi and come all the way to Georgia. And that was Nakobe Dean. I remember recruiting Nakobe and him being like, Coach, I'm sorry I gotta hang up I gotta work on this homework. Just the professionalism of Nakobe from high school at Horn Lake all the way to when he got to Georgia. Everybody quickly realized this guy is going to be different."

How Did Nakobe Dean End Up at Georgia?

Georgia inside linebacker Nakobe Dean (17) celebrates with Georgia outside linebacker Nolan Smith (4) after getting a sack during the second half of an NCAA college football game between Arkansas and Georgia in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. Georgia won 37-0. News Joshua L Jones Syndication Online Athens | Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK

Dean was indeed different during his time at Georgia. In his final season with the program, Dean racked up 72 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and six sacks along. with two interceptions. An injury caused him to fall down the draft order a little bit, but in the 3rd round, the Philadelphia Eagles scooped him up and he has been an impactful player for them ever since.

Dean is now surrounded by many of his former teammates with the Eagles, and just like they did in college, they are dominating their opponents on a weekly basis. Just one of many great examples of impactful players to come through the Universityof Georgia under head coach Kirby Smart.

How Did Nakobe Dean End Up at Georgia?

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