Elite Five-Star LB Smael Mondon Breaks Down Interest in Vols, Talks Recruitment

Five-Star LB Smael Mondon talks Tennessee and more

When you talk about recruits being prioritized during the COVID-19 lockdown, you cannot do it without talking about Smael Mondon of Paulding County. The talented outside linebacker is hearing from major heavy hitters from across the country, and Tennessee remains in the mix. Mondon talks Vols and more here.

Mondon said on the current state of his recruitment with the COVID-19 shutdown, " It made it different because I can't go on visits anymore, so it changed the process of cutting down schools. It changed how I have to look at schools, so I can only focus on schools I have been to and visited. Not that I am not focusing on any schools I haven't been to yet, but to seriously consider a school, I would have to go there for a visit. I am still considering those schools, though. It is really just talking to coaches more online and with zoom chats."

Mondon said on the shutdown creating a feeling of wanting to stay closer to home, "staying home all day, every day during quarantine, makes me want to go as far away as possible. Nothing really changed about me going further away or staying closer. I would not be against it."

Mondon said on the teams he is hearing from the most, " right now, It is a little bit of everybody. Auburn, LSU, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee. Then there is Alabama and Oklahoma."

Mondon said on his growing relationship with Brian Niedermeyer, "we have a good relationship, and it has been growing. He has been telling me about the new movement at Tennessee, and how it is going to be something different there."

Mondon said on the appeal to join in that process with the Vols, "it is just the chance to completely turn something around. When you are the first to do something or first to do something in a while, people remember. So, it is really just the chance to leave a long-lasting legacy there."

He said on the peer recruitment from current players and commits, "I have been talking with them, but it is just the chance to go there and start a legacy and win with them."

Georgia is the home state school, and they are widely considered the favorites in this race. He said on the Bulldogs, "they have been recruiting me hard. Their message is state pride. Just stay home and build something for your state."

Mondon said on the factor of early playing time, " some schools see me playing earlier than others, but with enrolling early, I feel like I am going to have the chance to play at a lot of different places, so it is not really a factor."

Mondon said on starting to narrow down his recruitment even more, "right now, I can't answer that. I am just going off of whenever. Every day is a new day, and that is how I am kind of looking at it."