A lot of credit for the Philadelphia Eagles’ success last season rightfully went to Saquon Barkley’s incredible, history-making year. And though the running back topped 2,000 yards, another huge factor in their success was the dominant defense they built over the course of the season, controlling the game at every level.
This offseason, key players like Darius Slay, Josh Sweat, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson left via free agency or trade. However, the Eagles made a few key additions, bringing in Josh Uche and now Azeez Ojulari. The addition of Ojulari reunites a unique group at the professional level, with Nolan Smith excited to play alongside his former collegiate teammates again.
Philadelphia Bulldogs or Georgia Eagles?
The 2020 Georgia Bulldogs weren’t one of the program’s greatest teams, but before COVID-19 disrupted the season, they were 7-2 in the SEC, with a defense that ranked among the top 20 in scoring among 128 FBS teams.
That same defensive core will now take on a major role for the Eagles in 2025. After Philadelphia’s acquisition of Ojulari became official, eagle-eyed fans (pun intended) noticed something interesting about their defensive lineup.
Anthony DiBona summed it up, putting together the actual list:
“Eagles now have SEVEN members of Georgia’s defense in 2020 on their roster.”
Eagles now have SEVEN members of Georgia’s defense in 2020 on their roster:
– Jordan Davis, IDL
– Jalen Carter, IDL
– Azeez Ojulari, EDGE
– Nolan Smith, EDGE
– Nakobe Dean, LB
– Kelee Ringo, CB
– Lewis Cine, S pic.twitter.com/fqIq0wmPJ2— Anthony DiBona (@DiBonaNFL) March 17, 2025
Those seven players include Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter on the interior defensive line, with Ojulari and Smith on the edge. Supporting them are linebacker Nakobe Dean and a secondary duo featuring cornerback Kelee Ringo and safety Lewis Cine.
After finishing second in PFSN’s Defense+ metric last season, it will be interesting to see how their slightly retooled core performs. But one person who’s thrilled about the reunion is Smith, especially when it comes to teaming up again with Ojulari.
Reacting to the news of Ojulari joining the team on his Instagram story, Smith was fired up about the addition, even calling it a source of motivation.
“We come off vacation even MORE excited to go to work!!!!”
NEW: #Eagles star Nolan Smith is fired up that his former Bulldog teammate Azeez Ojulari is joining him in Philly.
🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/AavHYLaVzE
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) March 18, 2025
He added a salute emoji for good measure as Philadelphia begins its quest for a repeat after a dominant showing in Super Bowl 59. Against the back-to-back defending champion Kansas City Chiefs, it was the Eagles’ defense that made KC’s life miserable, holding them scoreless in the first half.
Eventually, it paved the way for a 40-22 win. But with some changes to their defensive personnel, it remains to be seen how this new unit will perform —and what magic Howie Roseman might have in store for the NFL Draft.