UGA Football LB Smael Mondon Named SEC Defensive Player of the Week
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ATHENS, Ga. --- Georgia junior linebacker Smael Mondon and true freshman place-kicker Peyton Woodring have earned Southeastern Conference weekly honors following the Bulldogs’ 27-20 win at Auburn, according to a league announcement Monday.
Mondon, a native of Dallas, Ga., has been named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week for the first time while Woodring, a native of Lafayette, La., has garnered his first SEC Co-Freshman Player of the Week honor in his career. Woodring is splitting this week’s award with Alabama’s Caleb Downs.
This marks the second and third SEC weekly honors for the Bulldogs this season. Junior center Sedrick Van Pran was named the SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week on Sept. 18 for Georgia’s first weekly honor.
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Mondon is the first Defensive Player of the Week for the Bulldogs since Chris Smith collected the honor following last season’s Florida game. Woodring’s accolade is the first Freshman of the Week for Georgia since 2022 when both Branson Robinson and Malaki Starks garnered the awards on separate weeks.
Mondon posted a game-high 11 tackles, including a sack and two tackles for loss, during the Bulldogs’ 22nd straight victory. Mondon helped the Bulldog defense hold the Tigers to 2-for-12 on third down conversions and to only three points in the final period.
In the first road collegiate game of his career, Woodring was a perfect 2-for-2 on field goals and 3-for-3 on PATs at Auburn. He drilled a then career-long 37 yarder in the second quarter to tie the game at 10-all before connecting on a career-long 38 yarder in the fourth quarter to give Georgia its first lead of the game (20-17).
The No. 1 Bulldogs (5-0, 2-0 SEC) play host to No. 20 Kentucky (5-0, 2-0) on Dooley Field in Sanford Stadium on Saturday. ESPN will televise the matchup at 7 p.m. SEC Nation will also be on campus Friday and Saturday.