ATHENS — With how well Georgia has recruited the inside linebackers over the years, it’s easy to become fixated on who the next big thing is. Especially with 5-star freshmen like Chris Cole and Justin Williams pushing for playing time.
But Saturday showed the incalculable value of having a senior linebacker. Especially one as gifted as Smael Mondon.
“It’s great to see him. I love him to death,” linebacker Jalon Walker said. “When I came in he was my older brother. He showed me the way. It’s great to share the field with him. Him coming back last week, I was happy to see but him to have the season that he’s coming back from with the injury, just a great way for him to come back. I’m just happy and glad he’s back out there.”
Mondon missed four games with a foot injury that kept him out following Georgia’s game against Alabama. He first returned to the field against Ole Miss but played only 15 snaps.
If he dipped his toes in the water against the Rebels, Mondon dove into the deep end against the Volunteers. He led the inside linebacker room in snaps played with 52.
Mondon posted a team-high 8 tackles while also finishing with a sack. The senior linebacker was all over the field for Georgia in the room.
“His confidence, his ability to make plays and tackles, his instincts are huge,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “I think back to all the games he didn’t play in. He missed all this time for this time, and he’s gotten good reports on his foot. He’s had two or three x-rays that look like it’s healed. So that’s great news for him.”
The performance was critical, as Georgia shut out Tennessee over the final 30 minutes of the game. Tenneseee had the top rusher in the SEC in Dylan Sampson. The Tennesee running back still finished with 101 yards and a touchdown on the night.
But after scoring 10 points in the first quarter, Tennessee’s offensive success waned as the game dragged on. Georgia, and Mondon, got acclimated to Tennessee’s tempo and found a way to limit the Volunteers’ success.
“Yeah, you know, that was just a good job of everybody really just lining up,” Mondon said. “Because they play like a type of ball where you got to, like, hurry up, get fast, communicate well. So, it was really just a credit to all the guys, you know, doing their job.”
Injuries have prevented Mondon from becoming the best version of himself. He dealt with a foot injury for much of the 2023 season that severely limited him in the latter stages of that year.
That has allowed Walker, CJ Allen, Raylen Wilson and Cole to see an uptick in snaps and gain experience. That’ll come in handy as the Bulldogs continue to prepare for the College Football Playoff.
Mondon has already started in one national championship in his career. He knows what it takes to execute at a high level and how critical it is to play well in big games.
It’s a big reason why he so seamlessly slid back into his role as a leader of the Georgia defense.
“It was great to see him back. He’s definitely one of our leaders on the defense,” cornerback Daylen Everette said. “So him coming back kind of made a big impact. You saw that on the field, so it was real great to have him.”
