The Walter Camp Football Foundation recently released its 2021 preseason All-American list featuring four Georgia Football players, but some Bulldogs were noticeably absent.
Tykee Smith – Defensive back
The most glaring absence is Tykee Smith, a defensive back who earned 2020 All-American honors from six different sources, including Pro Football Focus and the Associated Press.
Supporting his case for inclusion on preseason All-American lists is his reunion with defensive backs coach Jahmile Addae. Addae developed Smith into an All-American at West Virginia while also building the Mountaineer pass defense into one of the best in the nation. He accepted the vacant DB coach position at Georgia in January and Smith committed to Georgia through the transfer portal in March.
Smith will be right at home playing the STAR position in Athens. Georgia uses the star as a hybrid of safety, cornerback, and linebacker, and Smith's playing style is a hybrid of those three positions. He's primed for another All-American year.
Nakobe Dean – Linebacker
The Walter Camp Football Foundation left Nakobe dean off the Preseason All-American lists? That has to be the biggest head-scratching exclusion.
Georgia has developed an excellent track record of developing linebackers. Roquan Smith won the Butkus Award and made an immediate impact in the NFL; Tae Crowder went from Mr. Irrelevant to starting three games as a rookie; Monty Rice earned a third-round selection despite red flags for injuries.
Dean is obviously next in line. He's just as talented as Smith and looks like him on the field. Dean made 71 tackles last season and those stops came at all areas of the field. Whether it's a running back going up the middle, a scrambling quarterback taking off downfield, or a receiver catching a quick pass, Dean doesn't let anyone gain yards on him.
Adam Anderson – Linebacker
Adam Anderson continues to be college football's most underrated player this offseason, the Walter Camp lists are just the most recent example. Anderson is a ferocious pass rusher, which is why he typically only played on passing downs last year. Despite the limited reps, he ended the year with 6.5 sacks and 24 hurries.
Because of his limited snaps, you'd think Anderson would have deficiencies in his game, particularly against the run, but the film tells a different story. He's a well-developed edge linebacker who would easily transition into a starting role. Anderson even cross-trained at nickel-STAR in the spring.
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