ATHENS — There is a consistent theme with Georgia’s three Butkus Award-winning linebackers.

Roquan Smith, Nakobe Dean and Jalon Walker have all won the award for the nation’s top linebacker under the tutelage of Glenn Schumann. They’ve all also been in their third season at Georgia when they won the award.

It’s worth noting all of that as CJ Allen enters his third season in the Georgia program.

“My expectation is just to do whatever my team needs,“ Allen said following Georgia’s spring game. ”You know, be the leader. You know, be the vocal leader on the team. Not just on the defense but on the team.And just lead those guys the best way I can.”

Allen has proven to already be a productive player at Georgia. He started as a true freshman and finished second on the team in tackles last season with 76. first-round in the win over Florida to go along with 3.0 tackles for loss and 4 pass breakups.

His early play has already put him on the radar of NFL teams. Dane Brugler of The Athletic has Allen as a projected first-round pick for the 2026 NFL Draft.

“It wouldn’t be a proper first-round mock without at least one Georgia defender,” Brugler wrote. “Allen was one of the best run defenders in the SEC last season and put several impressive coverage reps on tape."

Part of Brugler’s analysis is based on the precedent that has been established with Georgia in the NFL draft. Since the 2022 NFL Draft, the Bulldogs have produced 13 first-round draft picks. That is the most of any program, with 10 coming on the defensive side of the ball.

Allen won’t be able to coast into the NFL draft, however. He’ll need to deliver a big season in the middle of Georgia’s defense.

Kirby Smart already sees Allen as a leader, as Allen is one of the few experienced members on Georgia’s 2025 team.

And even though in some ways he is already a proven player at Georgia, he’s also aware he hasn’t won a championship yet. Walker and Dean both did, while Smith was a driving force on a team that played for the 2018 National Championship.

“Just keeping the main thing the main thing,” Allen said. “When I was 7 years old I wasn’t getting paid to play the game. I was playing for free. So just keeping the main thing the main thing and knowing why I do it for myself, my family, and for God. So just keeping the main thing the main thing.”

Fellow junior linebacker Raylen Wilson noted that Allen has become more vocal this spring. Smith, Dean and Walker all were key leaders on their respective teams.

Allen also plays in one of the deepest and most talented position groups on not just the Georgia team but college football at large. Wilson also brings starting experience to the position, while Chris Cole and Justin Williams enter the upcoming 2025 season with a significant amount of hype.

Williams earned rave reviews, leading all Georgia defenders with 9 tackles in the spring game. But Allen equaled Williams in tackles for loss in the game with 3.0, while adding in 8 tackles as well.

Because of the presence of Cole and Williams, it’s easy for Allen to get lost somewhat in the shuffle. In an article for ESPN, Cole was actually identified as the player most likely to replace Walker, who was just taken with the No. 15 overall pick in the draft.

But the reality is that Allen is the far more likely candidate to follow in the footsteps of Walker for the 2025 season. Perhaps not as a pass rusher attacking opposing quarterbacks but as the key leader and driving force of both the inside linebacker room and the Georgia defense as a whole.