Georgia Signed One of its Best Linebacker Groups Ever
Georgia’s defense revolves around the linebackers. They aren’t just at the center of the formation, they are the core of head coach Kirby Smart and defensive coordinator Dan Lanning’s scheme.
From Roquan Smith and Tae Crowder to Monty Rice and Nakobe Dean, the Bulldogs defense has been built around linebackers who don’t miss tackles and play sideline-to-sideline. Georgia showed its commitment to always having elite linebackers with its 2021 recruiting class by signing a trio of SI99 inside linebackers.
All three signees were home-run commits, especially with co-defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach Glenn Schumann gaining the commitments of Smael Mondon and Xavian Sorey late in the cycle. Mondon (No. 6 overall, No. 1 linebacker) committed on Nov. 18, while Sorey (No. 17 overall, No. 2 linebacker) didn’t commit to a school until he signed his letter of intent to play for Georgia on early signing day.
Mondon, Sorey, and Jamon Dumas-Johnson have a long way to go before they earn starting jobs, but Georgia’s linebacker room is stacked, even with Rice’s departure. Neither will be buried on the depth chart either as all three will compete against each other, along with returning players Quay Walker, Channing Tindall, Rian Davis and Trezman Marshall for second-string roles.
And that's just the inside linebackers. Include Chaz Chambliss in the mix as an outside linebacker and there could be something truly special.
So, just how historic was the 2021 linebacker class for Georgia?
Well, in the last 10 years, only two other classes come to mind:
- 2014 Alabama: Rashaan Evans, Christian Miller, Ronnie Clark Shaun Dion Hamilton
- 2020 Oregon: Justin Flowe, Noah Sewell Jackson LaDuke
- 2021 Georgia: Smael Mondon, Xavian Sorey, Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Chaz Chambliss
This linebacker class was an important one for Georgia. They didn't sign an inside linebacker in 2020, they are losing Monty Rice to the upcoming NFL Draft and most believe Nakobe Dean to be a three-year player considering his abilities.
Mondon, Sorey and Dumas-Johnson were much-needed pieces to this depth chart and Chambliss adds needed depth on the outside with the departure of Jermaine Johnson.
It is believed that of the four linebackers mentioned, Sorey and Mondon provide an intriguing level of versatility. It will be interesting to see how Smart and Lanning will go about using them. The same could be said about Chambliss in terms of questions about where his positional future is.
As for Dumas-Johnson, there's no question where he will play. JDJ is a plug-and-play type of linebacker for Georgia. He comes from an eerily similar defensive scheme and will make a seamless transition into this Georgia defense.
