Georgia's Nakobe Dean Named 'Sleeper' in Top Returning Off-Ball LBs for 2020

Nakobe Dean is set to have a great sophomore year, but ESPN's latest article believes he could be one of the best off-ball linebackers in the country in 2020.

The anticipation to see exactly what Nakobe Dean just might due in 2020 is continuing to build. Sure, there are half a dozen players in that No. 1 signing class in 2019 that will play a pivotal role this fall but it's hard to make the case that any of them will be more impactful than the sophomore linebacker from Horn Lake, Mississippi. 

ESPN's latest article is only more confirmation of everyone's thoughts on just how great Dean could be. Anthony Treash took the time to rank the Top-10 off-ball linebackers returning for the 2020 college football season, and though Dean didn't make the list, he was mentioned as a Sleeper candidate. 

Treash had this to say about No. 17 from Georgia: 

"Dean looked every bit like the 24th-best recruit of the 2019 recruiting class in his true freshman campaign. And while he played just 245 snaps all season, he still managed to earn the 42nd-best WAA mark among all off-ball linebackers -- a mark that also happened to rank first among his first-year peers. Dean allowed only five catches for 28 yards on 149 coverage snaps and even managed to mix in a couple of pass breakups. Dean most certainly will have a larger role within Georgia's defense in 2020, and it wouldn't be a surprise if he ends up being one of college football's best off-ball linebackers by season's end."

Treash alluded to Dean's incredible coverage skills, something that Georgia fans noticed early on in the season last year. Any time a freshman is talented enough to remove Monty Rice from the equation on 3rd & Longs, you know he's special. 

Full list: 

1. Micah Parsons, Penn State
2. Nick Bolton, Missouri
3. Carlton Martial, Troy
4. Troy Brown, Central Michigan
5. Jack Sanborn, Wisconsin
6. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Notre Dame
7. Pete Werner, Ohio State
8. Zaven Collins, Tulsa
9. Akileis Leroy, Florida Atlantic
10. K.J. Britt, Auburn

Sleeper: Nakobe Dean

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