Georgia Bulldogs Football

Georgia's defense is on track to remain one of the best in the nation next year with the addition of prized linebacker recruit Smael Mondon.    

After Mondon announced on Tuesday he would be signing with the Bulldogs, Georgia tweeted a welcome message on Wednesday when he made it official:

All smiles between the hedges.

Welcome to the family, @SmaelJr.#CommittedToTheG pic.twitter.com/k2EsgKmaTz

— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) December 16, 2020

The Paulding County High School star is viewed as one of the best defensive players in next year's freshman class. He is a 6'3", 220-pound outside linebacker who can defend the run, rush the quarterback and drop into coverage. 

Per 247Sports composite rankings, Mondon is a 5-star prospect rated as the No. 2 outside linebacker and No. 29 overall player in the 2021 class. 

Charles Power of 247Sports compared his talent to Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith with the potential to develop into a first-round NFL draft pick:

"Has the speed to outrun defenses for long scores. Has a long stride in the open field and runs very well. Capable of making game-changing plays in all three phases. Athleticism transfers over to defense where he shows high-level range in playing sideline-to-sideline and running down plays in pursuit. Looks to be a natural mover in space and makes some plays while dropping into coverage. Will need to continue progressing as a read and react run defender."

One of Mondon's best assets is speed on the field. He split time in high school playing running back and linebacker. 

The Bulldogs will make use of Mondon's unique speed and playmaking skills. Head coach Kirby Smart and defensive coordinator Dan Lanning have done a fantastic job in recent years developing their young talent. 

Mondon joins an excellent recent lineage of linebackers to have come through Georgia. D'Andre Walker, Roquan Smith, Leonard Floyd and Jordan Jenkins are among the high-profile players at the position who have gone from the Bulldogs into the NFL. 

If Georgia hopes to compete with Alabama for SEC titles on a year-to-year basis, keeping elite-level talent from the state is imperative. Mondon was one of the best players from the state of Georgia in this year's class that Smart was able to reel in. 

The Bulldogs have been able to compete with the best programs in their conference since Smart took over in 2016, including winning an SEC title in 2017. The one remaining hurdle has been a national title, but the addition of Mondon with a roster already loaded with talent puts them in the conversation for a spot in the College Football Playoff next year.  

Outside linebacker Xavian Sorey announced his commitment to Georgia on Wednesday, according to Chip Towers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.  

Ranked the No. 1 player at his position in the class of 2021 by 247Sports—and the No. 20 player in his class overall—Sorey also held offers from Alabama, Florida, Clemson, LSU, Michigan and Texas A&M, among others. 

Barton Simmons of 247Sports projects Sorey as a future first-round draft pick who compares to former Miami Dolphins star Kiko Alonso:

"Above average height as a linebacker with strong upper body that still is filling out and is far from maxed out. Length drives his range on defense, particularly in pass coverage. Has natural soft hands with the ability to track and make plays on the football in coverage. Makes one-handed catches and plays downfield regularly. Showcases explosiveness on the basketball court and plays well above the rim. Has versatility on the football field and is used as a running back, fullback, tight end and rover.

"Shows natural body control. More smooth than sudden. Plays fast but under control. Is not a violent tackler. Makes most of his plays defensively on the perimeter and doesn't show a lot of downhill tackling. Has versatility to be an inside or outside linebacker. Size lends to inside. Not as rare physically as an edge defender. Needs to showcase that he has the demeanor necessary to be dominant at linebacker and inside the tackle box but has the traits necessary to be an elite modern linebacker. Likely impact Power 5 prospect with early round NFL Draft potential."

Expect Sorey to make an immediate impact once he arrives on the UGA campus. He might not be in college too long if he's able to play up to his potential. 

The 6'3", 214-pounder gives the Bulldogs their fourth five-star recruit and joins an incoming group ranked third in the country.

Saturday's SEC football matchup between Vanderbilt and Georgia has been canceled with the Commodores roster not meeting the minimum requirements because of COVID-19 protocols, the league announced Monday.      

The game will be ruled a no-contest. 

With the season concluding Saturday, Vanderbilt will finish the year 0-9 after falling to 3-6 Tennessee 42-17 last weekend. No. 9 Georgia, which is 7-2, "has been hunting around for a game," according to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports.    

SEC teams must have a minimum of 53 scholarship players available, with seven offensive linemen (including a center), four defensive linemen and a quarterback. If a team wants to play with a limited roster, it is able to do so.

The Commodores had a COVID-19 outbreak in October that resulted in the postponement of their game against Missouri. They entered their bye week with available scholarship players numbering in the "high 40s," according to head coach Derek Mason.

Adam Sparks of the Nashville Tennessean reported Monday that the Commodores had just 49 scholarship players available against Tennessee.

After Vanderbilt's first winless season in program history, Notre Dame defensive coordinator Clark Lea, a Nashville native who played for the Commodores, is expected to take over as head coach, according to Sparks.           

The No. 9 Georgia Bulldogs decimated the No. 25 Missouri Tigers 49-14 on Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Missouri.

Georgia rode the arm of sophomore quarterback JT Daniels again, as he threw three touchdown passes and improved to 3-0 as a starter this season.

The Bulldogs also benefited from their strong run defense, which held Mizzou senior running back Larry Rountree III largely in check.

Georgia improved to 7-2, while Missouri fell to 5-4 and is likely to drop outside the Top 25.

           

Notable Stats

JT Daniels, QB, UGA: 16/27 for 299 YDS, 3 TD, 0 INT

Zamir White, RB, UGA: 12 CAR for 126 YDS, 1 TD

Daijun Edwards, RB, UGA: 11 CAR for 103 YDS, 1 TD

James Cook, RB, UGA: 6 CAR for 44 YDS, 1 TD; 1 REC for 37 YDS, 1 TD

George Pickens, WR, UGA: 5 REC for 126 YDS, 2 TD

Connor Bazelak, QB, MIZ: 17/28 for 139 YDS, 0 TD, 1 INT; 3 CAR for 8 YDS, 1 TD

Larry Rountree III, RB, MIZ: 14 CAR for 16 YDS, 1 TD; 4 REC for 35 YDS

        

Daniels Continues to Shine as Georgia's QB

Georgia has been a different team since Daniels took over for Stetson Bennett at quarterback, and the Bulldogs offense continued to roll Saturday.

Running back Zamir White and the running game took over in the second half, but Daniels played a big role in giving Georgia a seven-point lead at halftime and extending it to 14 on the first drive of the second half.

After Georgia took a 7-0 lead on a two-yard rushing score, Daniels helped make the lead 14 late in the first quarter when he continued his dominance on third down by hitting running back James Cook on a slant that resulted in a 37-yard touchdown:

Five-straight TDs on third down for JT Daniels 👀 pic.twitter.com/2tmTW1jTxJ

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) December 12, 2020

Mizzou tied it late in the second half because of some Georgia mistakes, including a blocked punt, but Daniels marched the Bulldogs 75 yards in just 43 seconds, culminating in a beautiful 36-yard touchdown pass to George Pickens:

George Pickens is a man amongst boys pic.twitter.com/y5SfHDxDnC

— Barstool UGA (@ugabarstool) December 12, 2020

While Pickens made a great play on the ball, Daniels put him in a position to succeed, prompting Hutson Mason of 680 The Fan to comment on how much Daniels has helped the talented wideout:

JT Daniels was the best thing to happen for George Pickens.

— Hutson Mason (@HMason14) December 12, 2020

Daniels had a fairly easy go in the second half since the running game picked up and the defense shut Mizzou down, but he had to deal with plenty of adversity in the first half.

As noted by Maria Martin of 11 Alive News, Daniels was under siege at times in the opening half:

JT Daniels has gotten rocked around quite a bit this afternoon in Como.

— Maria Martin (@Ria_Martin) December 12, 2020

Despite that, Daniels stood in, took hits and delivered the ball, and he did so without making many mistakes or throwing any interceptions.

On the first drive of the second half, Daniels threw his third and final touchdown pass of the day, as Pickens took a slant 31 yards to the house.

Chip Towers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution highlighted Daniels' excellence on third down since he took over as the starting quarterback:

JT Daniels remains otherworldly on third down. Hits George Pickens on slant on third-and-10 at Missouri 31, and he takes it to the end zone for 28-14 Georgia lead (12:49, 3Q). Daniels now 13-15 for 218 yards and 6 TDs on third down for Bulldogs.

— Chip Towers Writes (@ctowersajc) December 12, 2020

With the Bulldogs leading 28-14 after Pickens' second touchdown, they began to lean on the running game, which gashed Missouri's defense and created an insurmountable lead.

Georgia won't be part of the College Football Playoff this year, but given how well Daniels has played over the past few weeks, it is fair to wonder if the Bulldogs would have had a better chance against Alabama and Florida had he started over Bennett earlier.

         

Rountree Struggles to Get Going vs. Georgia Defense

Missouri's recent success entering Saturday's game was largely due to the play of Rountree, who had topped 150 rushing yards in consecutive games.

Rountree couldn't find his rhythm Saturday, as the Bulldogs shut him down and derailed the Missouri running game.

While Rountree did have a one-yard touchdown run late in the first half, he did most of his damage as a pass-catcher and didn't record a run longer than nine yards.

Dawn of the Dawg referenced Georgia's dominance over Rountree in the first half:

Larry Rountree has just 17 yards rushing in the first half. He has had over 150 rushing yards in his last two games.

Sidenote, welcome back Jordan Davis.

— Dawn of the Dawg (@DawnOfTheDawg) December 12, 2020

The Tigers largely abandoned the running game in the second half since they were playing from behind, and Rountree finished with minus-one rushing yard over the final 30 minutes.

Georgia held the Tigers to 22 yards on 22 carries overall, and the Bulldogs also locked down the Mizzou passing game, as quarterback Connor Bazelak threw for just 139 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.

Missouri looked like a major challenge on paper for the Georgia defense since the Tigers averaged over 45 points per game in the two contests entering Saturday's clash, but the Bulldogs imposed their will.

Considering how well Missouri had been playing, the Tigers' offensive performance represented a significant step backward. 

           

What's Next?

Georgia will look to end the regular season on a four-game winning streak next Saturday when it hosts Vanderbilt.

Meanwhile, Missouri will attempt to bounce back from this week's loss when it goes on the road to face Mississippi State next Saturday.

University of Georgia freshman wide receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint suffered what appeared to be a serious leg injury during the first quarter of Saturday's game against the Florida Gators.

Seth Emerson of The Athletic reported that Rosemy-Jacksaint was taken off the field on a cart after suffering the injury:

Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint going off on a cart now. He's a freshman receiver from Pompano Beach, Fla., who essentially stepped into George Pickens' spot the last two weeks.

— Seth Emerson (@SethWEmerson) November 7, 2020

The injury occurred at the end of a play that resulted in a 32-yard Rosemy-Jacksaint touchdown reception that helped put the No. 5 Bulldogs ahead of the No. 8 Gators 14-0.

Radi Nabulsi of UGASports.com and SEC Network's Alyssa Lang were among those who commented on the injury:

Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint played every snap last week and took a lot of grief on one of those interceptions vs. UK. Kid has worked his tail off, finally scores, and then that happens.

Good toss by Bennett, too.

— Radi Nabulsi (@RadiNabulsi) November 7, 2020

Prayers for Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint. That was beyond awful.

— Alyssa Lang (@AlyssaLang) November 7, 2020

It was likely a bittersweet moment for Rosemy-Jacksaint, who entered Saturday's game with three receptions for 30 yards and no touchdowns on the season. He exceeded his season total for yardage on the play and also scored his first collegiate touchdown.

Rosemy-Jacksaint is a Pompano Beach, Florida, native who starred in high school at St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Per 247Sports' composite, Rosemy-Jacksaint was a 4-star prospect who ranked as the No. 55 overall player and No. 8 wide receiver in the 2020 recruiting class.

Rosemy-Jacksaint seemed to be coming into his own prior to Saturday's injury, but now other Georgia wide receivers will have to fill the void.

Kearis Jackson, Jermaine Burton and Demetris Robertson are the top candidates to do so.

Also, George Pickens will have an expanded role when healthy, but he has missed the past two games with an upper-body injury.

Georgia safety Richard LeCounte has been released from the hospital after he was in a dirt bike accident on Saturday. 

Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart told reporters on Wednesday that LeCounte was discharged. 

"He was able to get some different treatment and some rehab," Smart said.

After playing in the Bulldogs' 14-3 win over Kentucky on Saturday, LeCounte was involved in an accident when a car attempting to make a left turn didn't see him driving down the road. 

Per Chip Towers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Athens-Clarke County Police said LeCounte "was unresponsive when first responders arrived at the scene." He was later diagnosed with a concussion and suffered bruised shoulders, ribs, cuts and scrapes on his body. 

"He is very fortunate considering what most people have when they have one of those motorcycle accidents," Smart said, via Towers. "Certainly, it was scary for our team, for everybody in our family, everybody in our organization. It was scary for him and his family. It makes you hug your kids a little more at night, for sure.”

LeCounte updated his condition on Sunday when he tweeted, "All is Well."

Now in his senior season, LeCounte is a three-year starter on the Bulldogs defense. He has 26 total tackles, one tackle for loss and three interceptions in five games this season. 

 

Georgia safety Richard LeCounte has been moved out of the intensive care unit into a regular hospital room as he recovers from a motorcycle accident, head coach Kirby Smart said Monday, per Seth Emerson of The Athletic.

LeCounte reportedly suffered a concussion and a rib injury in the accident Saturday but was responsive, per Radi Nabulsi of UGASports.com.

"It makes you hug your kids a little more at night, that's for sure," Smart said Monday.

There is no timetable for him to return to the field, but he won't be available for next Saturday's game against Florida.

The accident came after the Bulldogs sealed a 14-3 win over Kentucky to improve to 4-1 on the season.

LeCounte played a significant role in the win, totaling 13 tackles, three pass breakups and a fumble recovery while helping hold the Wildcats to just 91 passing yards. He was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week:

#SECFB Defensive Player of the Week: @LilEasy_35

Full release » https://t.co/NlaYEjo4Il pic.twitter.com/XvnjP51vHT

— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) November 2, 2020

The senior has three interceptions on the season and has been a leader for the Georgia defense for the past few years. He led the team with 74 tackles as a sophomore and had a team-high four interceptions in 2019 for a unit that allowed the fewest points per game in college football.

Georgia is already building a strong foundation to the 2022 recruiting class by landing a commitment from highly touted athlete Deyon Bouie. 

The Bainbridge, Georgia, native announced his decision on social media Sunday:

🚨COMMITMENT ALERT🚨

Georgia has landed a commitment from 2022 in-state four-star DB Deyon Bouie.

"Georgia is where I want to be."

He breaks down his commitment with @ChadSimmons_https://t.co/TjfdvXPQZE pic.twitter.com/Dj4j1esMfk

— Rivals (@Rivals) November 1, 2020

It’s a blessing for things like this pic.twitter.com/uHqX27FfzI

— CountedOut3️⃣🖤 (@BouieDeyon) November 1, 2020

Bouie is considered a 5-star recruit and the No. 22 overall player in his class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

The 5'11" two-way star plays both receiver and cornerback and could have a future on either side of the football.

Bouie had 510 receiving yards and six touchdowns as a sophomore in 2019, per MaxPreps, adding three interceptions on the defensive end. He also had six interceptions as a freshman in 2018.

This type of impact makes him a player to look forward to, as his elite athleticism affords him the opportunity to contribute in variety of ways. He should also be a factor on special teams, especially early in his career.

While his role at the next level could depend on team needs, the athlete has a bright future regardless.

Georgia adds another top prospect to a 2022 class that already includes 4-stars Marquis Groves-Killebrew and C.J. Washington.

The Bulldogs also have the No. 6 overall class in 2021 after landing the No. 1 class in 2020.

Currently No. 5 in the Associated Press poll, Georgia shows no signs of slowing down with its pool of young incoming talent.

Georgia safety Richard LeCounte is responsive after suffering multiple injuries following a traffic accident in Athens, per Frank Sulkowski of WJCL, who received an update from LeCounte's mother, Erika.

LeCounte suffered a concussion and rib injuries, per Radi Nabulsi of UGASports.com.

Marc Weiszer of the Athens Banner-Herald provided more information on the multiple-vehicle crash:

"Athens-Clarke County police responded Saturday evening to the area of 520 Macon Highway to investigate the accident, according to information provided to the Banner-Herald by Sgt. John Williams late Saturday night.

"LeCounte was transported to a local hospital and family and team officials were notified. The investigation is ongoing."

Georgia traveled to Lexington, Kentucky, to play the Wildcats for an SEC battle that started at noon ET. LeCounte amassed 13 tackles and three pass breakups for the Bulldogs, who held Kentucky to just 229 yards from scrimmage in a 14-3 win.

Per Weiszer, the Bulldogs returned to Athens at 5:30 p.m., and the accident happened some time afterward Saturday.

The senior and Riceboro, Georgia, native has been one of the Bulldogs' defensive stars this season and leads the team with three interceptions.

Georgia added a huge piece for the future after 2021 prospect Amarius Mims committed to the football program Wednesday.

BREAKING: The No. 2 player in the nation, 5-star offensive tackle Amarius Mims, has committed to #UGA over Tennessee and childhood favorite Alabama.

Full coverage: https://t.co/pSQ0OwTP4o pic.twitter.com/Ef3fOW2uny

— Radi Nabulsi (@RadiNabulsi) October 14, 2020

Mims is part of an impressive recruiting class for the Bulldogs already:

ESPN 300 offensive lineman Amarius Mims has committed to #Georgia, he’s the No. 18 ranked prospect overall.#Dawgs now have 11 ESPN 300 commits, 5 of which are offensive linemen. @amarius_mims pic.twitter.com/ZkD7x2canE

— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) October 14, 2020

The offensive tackle, at 6'7" and 315 pounds, has the size to make a major impact. It helped him become a 5-star prospect who is rated the No. 2 offensive tackle and sixth-best overall player in the class, per 247Sports.

Mims has turned heads with his impressive athleticism at his size after lining up at several other positions in his high school career. Chad Simmons of Rivals.com compared him to NFL Pro Bowler Laremy Tunsil.

"Mims grew up playing defensive end and tight end, so he's still learning the position, but when you talk about bend, size, athleticism, feet, length—all those traits you look for in an elite offensive tackle—Tunsil is a great comparison," Simmons wrote in 2019.

With more time to work on his technique, the Georgia native has continued to improve and now has a chance to make an impact early in his college career.

Though most offensive linemen redshirt in order to gain enough physicality to handle the college game, Mims has a chance to see playing time as a true freshman. The commitment is a major boost for Georgia, which relies on the big bodies up front to help generate offense. 

Losing former offensive line coach Sam Pittman to Arkansas initially seemed like it could hurt this recruitment, but Mims decided to stay local for his college career.

Mims will try to make an impact for a team looking to compete with the best in the SEC and beyond.