Georgia linebacker CJ Allen is one of 10 Georgia Bulldogs who will be at the NFL Combine this week. While it is very exciting to watch all 10 Bulldogs represent Georgia at the next level, it is Allen who maybe is the most exciting to follow.
The biggest reason why is because he is projected to be selected very early in the NFL Draft later this summer. Everone knows though that this doesn't guarantee that he will be a great player, but Allen has all the confidence in the world in himself.
So when he was asked if he was ready to be a starter in the NFL right now his answer was not surprising at all.
"No doubt."
What does CJ Allen say when asked if he’s ready to be a day one starter in the NFL?
— Jed May (@JedMay_) February 25, 2026
“No doubt.”
On why Allen feels Georgia got him ready to be an immediate force in the league: https://t.co/nl1uKS4SMx
CJ Allen grabbed everyone's attention at the NFL Combine
There are so many attributes about Allen that make him a desirable player for teams to select in the NFL Draft this year. He has great size and quickness for a linebacker who is tougher than most players on the football field. Allen is also only 20 years old still, so he has so many years in front of him where he can make an impact on the field.
Allen spent just three years at Georgia, but those were three very good seasons. He quickly made himself known as a freshman by racking up 41 tackles in 2023. From there he just kept improving as he totaled 76 tackles in 2024 before recording a career high 88 tackles this past season. This also included career highs in sacks (3.5), forced fumbles (2) and fumble recoveries (1).
Allen is projected to be selected in the first round of this year's draft, and any player selected in the first round is expected to be a day one starter. So the fact that he is this confident in himself should be eye opening for any team thinking about picking him.