Freshman Faces: Smael Mondon
The Georgia Bulldogs have a rich history of developing inside linebackers and it appears the next big thing at the position is freshman Smael Mondon.
Mondon spent his high-school years in Dallas, Ga., where he played at Paulding County High School. He committed to Georgia just one month before early national signing day.
His decision came down to Georgia, Florida, Auburn, LSU and Tennessee. Ultimately, the Bulldogs won Mondon's services because of the fantastic track record that inside linebackers coach Glenn Schumann has.
Mondon's physical attributes scream first-round draft pick. He is 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds of lean muscle. His body is ready for the SEC now, and he has the athleticism to go with it.
He is a supreme athlete that can pivot on a dime and chase down an offensive player going downfield. He played nearly every position in high school on the defensive side of the ball and moonlighted as a running back.
While the athletic profile is impressive, Mondon was extremely raw coming out of high school. He was so much better than his competition that he didn't need to be fundamentally sound; he could simply see the ball and go get it.
That will not be the case at Georgia. Mondon is undergoing a position change at the moment, switching to inside linebacker from his outside spot in high school.
Inside linebacker is a very technical position where players have to be patient, waiting for blocks to develop while shuffling down the line of scrimmage. Mondon was not asked to do that in high school and was expected to undergo growing pains in his first year.
According to reports, the change has gone better than the staff could have imagined. Mondon still has a ways to go, but he has picked up a lot of information on the fly and is a very quick learner.
He gained so much ground during spring practices that he actually got into the spring game. He looked the part of an SEC linebacker and had several impressive plays that suggested he could be part of the linebacker rotation this season.
At the moment, it appears as if Mondon will be one of the first inside linebackers off the bench. Nakobe Dean, Quay Walker and Channing Tindall have more experience than Mondon and will see the field before him.
That doesn't mean that Mondon won't play. Georgia rotates their linebackers a lot, which should give Mondon ample opportunity to make an impact every game.
Additionally, expect to see Mondon on special teams this fall. With his speed and athleticism, he will be a weapon on punt and kickoff coverage units.
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