BREAKING: 5-star LB Smael Mondon Commits to Georgia
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Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs have had a rough 2020 season so far, but they continue to roll on the recruiting trail.
The Bulldogs picked up three commitments in October, and now they’ve landed one of their top remaining 2021 targets in five-star linebacker, Smael Mondon.
The big 6-foot-3 215-pound athlete from Dallas has been a top Georgia target from the beginning, and his relationship with Glenn Schumann in particular helped the Bulldogs land him over Auburn, Florida, LSU, and Tennessee. Dawg Post felt that Auburn had the advantage with Mondon in the spring and summer, but as we moved into the fall, and certainly after Georgia’s beat-down of Auburn in week two, is when sources started telling Dawg Post that Georgia was the team picking up momentum in his recruitment.
So what is Georgia getting in Mondon?
They’re getting a great athlete who hasn’t come close to reaching his full potential at linebacker. At first, I thought Mondon was a great athlete trying to play linebacker. But after watching him earlier this year, it was clear he’s starting to turn himself into a true linebacker prospect.
He’s always been able to run, and he runs really well for a bigger linebacker at his size. What he’s continued to get better at is learning the position and being more comfortable. He showed great instincts two months ago against North Hall before his season-ending injury, and made a handfull of tackles in that game.
He shot the gaps well in the middle of the line, he took on and got off blocks well, and showed great pursuit in getting after the ball carrier. He tackles well, he’s physical, and he’s extremely athletic for his size. He looks the part physically, and when he’s coming downhill, he knows how to deliver a hit. He may not be an elite sideline-to-sideline defender, but he’s got enough speed to get to the edge on a consistent basis.
He’ll likely play outside linebacker due to his strength on the edge and length as a pass rusher, but he’s versatile enough to play in the middle some on short-yardage situations to help stop the run.
He does a little bit of everything right now for Paulding County, playing some running back and wide receiver on offense. He’s tough to bring down with the ball at times and shows consistent hands out of the backfield.
There’s a lot to like about his game. He checks most of the boxes at linebacker, and the more he plays, the better he’ll get. He’s big, athletic, can run, and should develop nicely over the next few years.
Dawg Post ranks Mondon as the No.4 overall prospect in Georgia and the No.2 linebacker prospect. He’s ranked as a 5-star prospect in the Composite rankings, coming in at No.9 nationally and the No.1 prospect in the state.