Kirby Smart updates progression of Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Smael Mondon

Per usual, the Georgia Bulldogs lost a lot of talent in this year’s NFL Draft. 10 Bulldogs were selected, tying Alabama for the national lead for a school this year and ranking second all-time in school history. Georgia will now look for some new player-led leadership and production, and on the defensive side of the ball, they may not have to look any further than Jamon Dumas-Johnson and Smael Mondon.

Dumas-Johnson and Mondon are entering their third season with the Bulldogs after impressing in their increased roles as sophomores last year. And during the Bulldogs’ spring practices, head coach Kirby Smart spoke about their progression.

“He and Smael, I think they started out the spring not knowing really. Like okay, I’m in a curious position, last spring I got a chip on my shoulder. Nobody know who I am, everybody’s questioning us, I’m the new leader, and they’re out there hungry. Just eating off the floor,” Smart said. “And they had good seasons, both of them did in their own right. Smael played really well and Smael had a great offseason in terms of lifting weights and working and Smael’s come on, he’s played really good.”

The defensive duo both earned starting jobs last season and thrived for Georgia’s national championship team. Dumas-Johnson earned All-SEC 2nd Team honors from the Associated Press ranking second on the team in tackles with 70, first on the team in tackles for loss with 9.0, and added 4.0 sacks and 26 quarterback hurries to his stellar season.

Despite missing two games with injury, Mondon still led the Bulldogs in tackles last season with 76 along with 9.0 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, and an interception in the SEC Championship.

There’s no doubt the two defenders rose to the occasion in 2022, but Smart didn’t feel that same level of intensity from them to start spring practice.

“And they go out to spring ball and there was a point in time there where I felt like I needed to call them in because I don’t know if they were practicing with the same ferocity that they would have been practicing with like they were last year,” Smart explained. “And I showed them some clips, I said okay here’s last spring or last fall camp and this is the way you were practicing because you had something to prove. And now here’s the first four practices of this spring, is that the same two guys?”

The tough love and reality check from Smart probably wasn’t the easiest to hear, but according to Smart, it’s already started to pay off.

“And I think they both acknowledged that it probably wasn’t and it needed to be, and that’s the disease that’s out there. Now I’ll say this, since that conversation they both have really picked it up and been great leaders and it wasn’t that they were doing anything wrong. It’s just they weren’t doing it right enough for the Georgia standard,” Smart said.

It’s hard to argue with the Georgia standard, as it’s led to back-to-back national championships the past two seasons. And if Dumas-Johnson and Mondon follow that path, they could very well be the next Georgia defenders to lift a trophy to end the football season and lift a jersey once the NFL Draft comes around.