The Georgia Bulldogs have added another great piece to their defense with Smael Mondon. Mondon is the 29th overall player in the 2021 class, as well as the second-ranked outside linebacker, according to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings. The Bulldogs already have one of the very best defenses in college football. Adding a talent like Mondon is only going to amplify that.
Smael Mondon Signs with Georgia
Mondon is a 6-foot-3, 220 pound outside linebacker playing his football in Paulding County, Georgia. Essentially, he is a super athlete that also possesses great length. In high school, Mondon played both running back and linebacker. In addition to that, he was also on the track and field team. He is very fast and can cover a lot of ground in very little time. Mondon is a sideline-to-sideline defender who can use his length to be a threat to a passing attack. Once he gets into the Georgia strength and conditioning program, expect to see him fill out a bit more and become a truly massive presence on defense, both figuratively and literally.
This season has not been great for the Paulding County Patriots, who finished 3-7 and missed out on the playoffs. However, despite team struggles, Mondon once again put together a couple of great performances before losing his season to injury. He had 18 solo tackles and 104 all-purpose yards on offense in those two games. Mondon was also named to the Atlanta-Journal Constitution’s Super 11, as well as the Army All-American Bowl.
Overall, Smael Mondon is a great pickup for the Georgia Bulldogs. Anytime you can get a five-star on your team is good, but a player with the athletic gifts that Mondon possesses is rare. Mondon is likely to be a star in Athens for years to come and could become a major force in the SEC very quickly.