Georgia football star linebacker CJ Allen joins Zachariah Branch in NFL Draft

The 2025 Georgia football season is over after Ole Miss shocked the Bulldogs to advance to the College Football Playoff semifinals. Since the Georgia season ended, the Bulldogs have seen a handful of players put their names in the NFL Draft. The biggest name was Zachariah Branch in the receiving corps, but linebacker CJ Allen also announced his intention to enter the NFL Draft.

On Monday, Allen officially announced his intention to put his name in the NFL Draft on social media. He immediately jumps to the front of the draft at the linebacker position. He joined the Bulldogs in the 2023 recruiting class and quickly became a star after the way Kirby Smart and Glenn Schumann used him.

“To my coaches and staff, thank you for trusting me, pushing me, and developing me both on and off the field. The lessons learned here extend far beyond football and will stay with me for life,” Allen wrote in part on social media. “To my teammates, thank you for the brotherhood, the competition, and the memories. Sharing the locker room with you has been an honor, and I am grateful for the bonds built through hard work and adversity. As this chapter comes to a close, I am officially declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft!”

This past season, Allen had 85 tackles, eight tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, an interception, 11 pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. He started in 12 games for Georgia due to injuries and was a FWAA All-American First Team selection and AFCA and Walter Camp All-America Second Team selection.

Allen was a finalist for the Butkus Award, Lott IMPACT Trophy, a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award, and the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award this season.

One of the key factors in Allen’s development has been learning and growing under Schumann, widely regarded as one of the best defensive minds in college football. What he learned from Schumann and Smart will be a massive difference in how high Allen gets drafted in the upcoming NFL Draft.

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