KNOXVILLE, Tenn., — It was going to be a special night for Azeez Ojulari regardless of what he did on the field for the No. 3 ranked Georgia Bulldogs against Tennessee. Personal bragging rights were on the line between him and his younger brother B.J., a 4-star prospect and member of Tennessee’s 2020 recruiting class.

Ojulari was also honored before the game in a big way, as he was named a team captain. It’s incredibly rare for a redshirt freshman to earn that distinction, as he becomes the first freshman to be named a captain in Kirby Smart’s time in the program.

“Azeez is a great leader for this team,” Smart said. “He was a captain for this game, to do that as a redshirt freshman is pretty special. He leads in practice, he plays the right way, he’s everything you want in a student-athlete. It’s a credit to his family. They did a great job with him.”

So with his family making the trip to Knoxville, Ojulari showed out. He racked up 2.0 sacks for the Bulldogs, both of which came in a second-half where the Volunteers were shut out, as the Bulldogs came away with a 43-14 win.

Ojualri’s first sack came on Tennessee’s opening drive of the third quarter. He got a little help from freshman defensive tackle Travon Walker, who looped all the way around the Tennessee offensive line and forced quarterback Brian Maurer to step up into Ojulari’s path.

The second sack though was all Ojulari. He beat Tennessee offensive tackle Wanya Morris off the edge immediately and before Maurer could really react, Ojulari was already wrangling him to the ground.

“It feels great to get back there and hitting the quarterback,” Ojulari said. “Doing what we need to do to create havoc and continue to win.”

For Ojulari, he’s now got 3.5 sacks on the season for Georgia. That’s already more than any Bulldog not named D’Andre Walker had a season ago. Ojulari picked up a half-sack in each of Georgia’s first three games on the season but had been held in check against Notre Dame.

The Bulldogs also picked up a sack from cornerback Eric Stokes, whose bone-crushing hit on Maurer set-up a scoop and score opportunity for Tae Crowder. The Bulldogs now have 15 sacks on the season compared to only 24 all of last season.

If Ojulari was playing like he is now last season, Georgia could’ve possibly had a more dynamic pass rush. But the start of his college career was slowed by an ACL injury he suffered during his senior season of high school. He ended up redshirting on the year, but he did flash some of his promise and potential in the Sugar Bowl defeat to Texas.

Since that Sugar Bowl performance, Ojulari has continued to emerge as a playmaker and possible star. He drew rave reviews all spring and summer and he’s come out and validated those remarks with his play so far.

In a room that includes more hyped prospects like Adam Anderson and Nolan Smith, Ojulari pretty clearly is the Ghost of Georgia’s fabled outside linebacker group known as ‘The Wolfpack’.

“Them young wolves we got in that room, they’ll get after you,” Georgia defensive back Richard LeCounte said. “I’m so proud of them, third down, first down, I know they’re gonna get after the quarterback.”

Ojulari is also a key part of Georgia’s run defense. The Bulldogs kept Tennessee’s ground game in check for most of the night. If you remove the drive with Georgia’s second-string defense, the Volunteers had just 69 rushing yards. And Georgia is still the only team in the country that has not given up a rushing touchdown.

Surely that stat would bring a smile to Smart and defensive coordinator Dan Lanning’s faces.

The biggest smile Ojulari had all night wasn’t after one of his two sacks, nor did it come when he was told of being the first redshirt freshman captain for Georgia under Smart. It came when he was asked about what he might say to his brother.

And you could tell, much like any good pass rusher in an obvious passing situation, he was ready for it.

“I’ll tell him ‘Go Dawgs,’ man,” Ojulari said. “Come home. You see the score now, come home. Stop playing with them.”

Georgia football’s Azeez Ojulari speaks after Tennessee win

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