ATHENS — Smael Mondon speaks like he plays football. Quickly and to the point.
Much like how he doesn’t waste many steps when he’s hawking down opposing players, he doesn’t use many words to describe himself or how he’s feeling.
“I’m feeling good right now, feeling pretty good,” Mondon said. “Really the toughest part probably is getting back in shape.”
Mondon was limited to just six snaps in Georgia’s first game against as he recovered from an offseason foot injury. The second game of the season saw him return to the starting lineup alongside fellow junior Jamon Dumas-Johnson.
He led the team in tackles with 4 but more importantly, got vital snaps ahead of Georgia’s SEC opener against South Carolina. Facing off against quarterback Spencer Rattler and the Gamecocks offense, Mondon knows he is going to need to be at his best as the Bulldogs start SEC play.
“Anybody can beat anyone on any given day,” Mondon said. “That’s why you got to put your best foot forward and prepare the best you can.”
Beating Georgia will be more difficult with Mondon back in the starting lineup. He led Georgia in tackles a season ago, despite missing two games with an ankle injury.
Paring him with Dumas-Johnson gives Georgia a dynamic pairing in the middle of the defense. The two are both returning starters and complement each other well.
“I’ll say we know what one is comfortable with and what one is not comfortable with,” Dumas-Johnson said. “I feel like the offseason, we worked on that. We made our weaknesses our strengths. We’re just ready to go out there and play at this point. We worked on things we had to get fixed up and I think we’re ready to do that.”
The two both arrived as 2021 signees and might seem like an odd couple. Mondon describes Dumas-Johnson as loud, while Dumas-Johnson notes how some can see Mondon as quiet.
But once you get to know the junior linebacker from Dallas, Ga., he’s actually pretty funny.
“if you got close, he’s goofy at times,” Dumas-Johnson said. “Probably the funniest person I’ve ever met. I say that every day. Y’all might not see it but I’m going to see it. I can’t tell you all what he’s doing to make me laugh but Smael is funny. Y’all see him, he might be a quiet dude. But he ain’t quiet.”
Mondon may be back starting for Georgia, but he’s still not the same Mondon who came down with an interception in the win over LSU or the one who sacked CJ Stroud in the Peach Bowl.
Kirby Smart knows from a physical standpoint he’s still working himself back into being the Mondon of old. That’s why getting playing time against Ball State proved so critical for him.
“He’s still not — like, he’s gone a long time without practicing, so when you go 20-something practices without practicing, you could say, ‘Well, he’s played for two other years.’ Yeah, he started one year. He went through most of spring. I can’t remember how many days he got in in the spring, but he missed all of fall camp,” Smart said. “So I think he’s still kind of knocking the rust off a little bit. He flashes. He’s really smart, man. He’s a really good leader. He and Pop together are comfortable.”
While Mondon has been getting his feet underneath him, he’s got the added responsibility of being a leader. He and Dumas-Johnson are both the oldest and most experienced members of the inside linebacker.
Mondon isn’t the firey vocal leader in the room, as Dumas-Johnson fits that mold. So Mondon has to go out and lead with his play.
And he’ll get the chance to do that again for Georgia on Saturday to open SEC play.
