NEW ORLEANS —The conga line of Georgia football talent just keeps on flowing.
From the recruiting ranks, into offseason training camp and then with game day performances, the Bulldogs’ collection of rising stars continues to shine.
Azeez Ojulari, a redshirt freshman from Marietta, became the latest Georgia football player to make the FWAA Freshman All-American Team.
Ojulari had a mind-bending 36 QB pressures from his outside linebacker position, also recording 36 tackles and 5.5 sacks including a fumble-inducing hit in the Bulldogs’ 26-14 Sugar Bowl win on Jan. 1.
Georgia led the SEC In total defense, scoring defense and rushing defense while ranking No. 8 in the nation in pass efficiency defense with Ojulari starting 13 of 14 games.
Earlier this season, Ojulari became the first freshman player under Kirby Smart to be named a team captain.
Ojulari was also named one of seven semifinalists for the FWAA Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award last week.
Memphis running back Kenny Gainwell won the Freshman of the Year Award on Monday.
Gainwell totaled more than 2,000 yards from scrimmage as the Tigers won the AAC and player in their first-ever New Year’s Six Bowl.
The Freshman Player of the Year Award began last season, with Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence claiming the honor.
The Freshman All-American team started in 2001. Ojulari is the 13th Bulldog to be honored on the team, ironically enough, matching his jersey number.
Eight of those 13 players were signed under Smart, who took over before the 2016 season.
Georgia Freshmen All-Americans
RB Knowshon Moreno, 2007
WR AJ Green, 2008
TE Orson Charles, 2009
RB Todd Gurley, 2012
RB Nick Chubb, 2014
TE Isaac Nautta, 2016
PK Rodrigo Blankenship, 2016
QB Jake Fromm, 2017
OL Andrew Thomas, 2017
OL Isaiah Wilson, 2018
OL Cade Mays, 2018
DL Jordan Davis, 2018
OLB Azeez Ojuari, 2019
2019 FWAA Freshman All-American Team
Quarterbacks
Sam Howell – North Carolina, 6-2 225 Indian Trail, N.C.
Kedon Slovis – USC, 6-2 200 Scottsdale, Ariz.
Running backs
(RS) Javian Hawkins – Louisville, 5-9 182 Titusville, Fla.
Sincere McCormick – UTSA, 5-9 200 Converse, Texas
Receivers
David Bell – Purdue, 6-2 210 Indianapolis, Ind.
C.J. Johnson – ECU, 6-2 229 Greenville, N.C.
Dante Wright – Colorado State, 5-10 165 Navarre, Fla.
Offensive Linemen
Evan Neal – Alabama, 6-7 360 Okeechobee, Fla.
O’Cyrus Torrence – Louisiana, 6-5 342 Greensburg, La.
Ikem Ekwonu – NC State, 6-4 308 Charlotte, N.C.
Sean Rhyan – UCLA, 6-4 323 Ladera Ranch, Calif.
(RS) Nick Rosi – Toledo, 6-4 290 Powell, Ohio
(RS) Travis Glover – Georgia State, 6-6 330 Vienna, Ga.
Defensive Linemen
(RS) Gregory Rousseau – Miami, 6-6 251 Coconut Creek, Fla.
George Karlaftis – Purdue, 6-4 265 West Lafayette, Ind.
(RS) Solomon Byrd – Wyoming, 6-4 243 Palmdale, Calif.
Kayvon Thibodeaux – Oregon, 6-5 242 South Central Los Angeles, Calif.
Linebackers
(RS) Devin Richardson – New Mexico State, 6-3 233 Klein, Texas
Omar Speights – Oregon State, 6-1 233 Philadelphia, Pa.
(RS) Azeez Ojulari – Georgia, 6-3, 240 Marietta, Ga.
Shane Lee – Alabama, 6-0 246 Burtonsville, Md.
Defensive Backs
(RS) Ar’Darius Washington – TCU, 5-8 175 Shreveport, La.
Derek Stingley Jr. – LSU, 6-1 190 Baton Rouge, La.
Kyle Hamilton – Notre Dame, 6-4 210 Atlanta, Ga.
(RS) Verone McKinley III – Oregon, 5-10 192 Carrollton, Texas
Ahmad Gardner – Cincinnati, 6-2 185 Detroit, Mich.
Tykee Smith – West Virginia, 5-10 184 Philadelphia, Pa.
Punter
Austin McNamara – Texas Tech, 6-4 175 Gilbert, Ariz.
Kicker
(RS) Gabe Brkic – Oklahoma, 6-2 175 Chardon, Ohio
Kick returner
Joshua Youngblood – Kansas State, 5-10 180 Tampa, Fla.
Punt returner
(RS) Kyle Philips – UCLA, 5-11 181 San Marcos, Calif.
All-Purpose
(RS) Kenneth Gainwell – Memphis, 5-11 183 Yazoo City, Miss.
Player of the Year
Kenneth Gainwell, Memphis
Breakout Performance
Jayden Daniels, Arizona State
Most Inspirational
Kedon Slovis
Coach of the Year
Ryan Day, Ohio State
