Smael Mondon injury update: Georgia LB's status vs. Texas revealed
Smael Mondon is expected to miss Saturday’s game against No. 1 Texas, On3’s Pete Nakos confirmed. He was seen in a boot on the sidelines during last week’s game between Georgia and Mississippi State and there is no timetable for his return.
Mondon first appeared on Georgia’s availability report Oct. 2 ahead of the matchup against Auburn and didn’t play again last week against Mississippi State. According to DawgsHQ’s Rusty Mansell, he’s expected to miss a “few more games at least” as a result of the injury.
Smael Mondon was a key piece of the Georgia defense against Alabama. He had five tackles, 0.5 sack and a pass defended as the Bulldogs fell to the Crimson Tide in the final minutes in Tuscaloosa. On the whole, he has 17 tackles – including a tackle for loss – in four appearances this season.
The Alabama game marked another solid performance for Mondon to start the 2024 season. He also had five tackles against Kentucky to set a new season high as Georgia held on to get the victory over the Wildcats on the road in Week 3.
Georgia and Texas are preparing to square off in a highly anticipated matchup on Saturday at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin. ESPN’s College GameDay will be in attendance as the two teams get ready to square off in primetime on ABC in a game that could have some College Football Playoff implications.
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According to ESPN’s Greg McElroy, the showdown could be decided in the trenches. Whichever team can win the line of scrimmage will have an easier path to a victory, in his eyes.
“I think it’s pretty simple,” analyst Greg McElroy said. “It’s the SEC, so it’s line of scrimmage and then weapons, in that order. First thing you’ve got to assess is can Texas block ’em? Because we know that Georgia’s got elite skill — really, really good players on the perimeter of their defense that can create issues, like Jalon Walker. That’s the big question. I actually think Texas is going to fare pretty well right there. I love their O-line. I think they’ve got a lot of experience and a lot of talent up front protecting Quinn Ewers.
“Then I look on the outside and I wonder, if at this point, are the Longhorns capable of beating a secondary that’s been pretty average by Georgia’s standards. And I think the answer is yes.”