Georgia football received some much needed good news on Friday. Junior linebacker Smael Mondon Jr. will return for his senior season, passing on a chance to enter the 2024 NFL draft, per On3 Sports’ Pete Nakos.

Mondon, a second-team All-SEC selection in 2023, was graded as a first-round pick by multiple draft analysts. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has Mondon rated as a top-five prospect at his position.

Mondon’s return is a big boost to a UGA linebacker room that has undergone major turnover since the SEC Championship loss to Alabama.

Preseason All-American selection Jamon Dumas-Johnson unexpectedly entered the transfer portal on Thursday, joining fellow linebackers Xavian Sorey Jr. and E.J. Lightsey.

Mondon’s return, paired with the late-season surge by freshmen C.J. Allen and Raylen Wilson, puts UGA’s inside linebacker room in a good spot ahead of the 2024 season.

Story originally appeared on UGA Wire