Elite LB, Smael Mondon, Talks Tennessee, Recruitment, and more

Smael Mondon is one of the premier prospects in all of the country. The Paulding County (GA) prospect measures in at 6'3, 205lbs and is rated as the 37th overall prospect in the 2021 class. Mondon holds offers from 19 Division I schools and has plenty more that are likely to roll in. He breaks down where his recruitment stands, his interest in Tennessee, and more here.

Mondon told VR2 on his recruitment, "I would not say anybody is standing out right now. I am just trying to take my time with the recruitment and wait for the summer to really start picking things out. I am just trying to take my time with it and not rush things."

Mondon said the schools he is hearing from the most are, "a bunch really- Auburn, LSU, Georgia, Tennessee, Oklahoma. Then there are schools like Oregon, Nebraska, Ohio State, Alabama, and Texas A&M that I hear from too. So, I can't really pick out a couple to say the most when it is all about the same."

At Paulding County, Mondon plays multiple positions, but he said colleges are telling him, "all of them are for defense. Some of them are about middle linebacker, some for an outside linebacker and like a rover type."

Tennessee is making Mondon an immediate priority in the 2021 class as a guy that can play various roles. He said at Tennessee, he communicates with, "coach (Brian) Niedermeyer, Coach (Jeremy) Pruitt, and Coach (Caleb) Cox."

The home-state school, Georgia, is already recruiting Mondon by committee as well, with Glenn Schumann leading the charge.

The message from the Vols is simple, "they like to have athletic linebackers. So, they are just saying that they want a linebacker that can move around a lot, and I fit into that."

Mondon said on playing for a guy like Jeremy Pruitt, who has a track record of getting prospects to the next level, "it is a good appeal because he is a defensive-minded coach and he is making me a priority on defense, so it would be good to play for him."

This winter Mondon will take a look at several SEC schools, as he said, " I am going to take some close by visits and see Auburn, LSU, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and Florida again."

Mondon's recruitment is going to be a battle between some heavy hitters, and rightfully so, as he is one of the highest-rated recruits in America. When asked what one of these schools would get in him, he said, " I feel like I am a dynamic player because I can play a lot of different positions. I feel like I can be a leader on defense because, for my team, I remember all of the calls, and I am a fast learner."

Off the field, Mondon said, " I am a guy that likes to joke and hang around with my friends. I like dancing and wrestling around, and all of that stuff, just trying to have fun.

Mondon is the 37th overall prospect in the nation, number 3 outside linebacker, and number 3 prospect from the state of Georgia.

Featured Image via Paulding County BOE twitter.

Add us as a preferred source on Google