Chris Cole is doing it all in second Georgia spring and drawing lofty comparisons
Georgia lost some serious defensive talent at the end of the 2024 season. The Bulldogs could have eight players taken in the 2025 NFL Draft from that side of the ball. They also lost quite a few guys to the transfer portal. But Kirby Smart always has answers when it comes to personnel in the form of guys like sophomore linebacker Chris Cole.
Of all the Georgia defenders who could be selected starting late next month, Jalon Walker will go the highest. His versatility and prowess as a hybrid linebacker/chess piece was a big reason why the Bulldogs won a SEC championship in 2024. He leaves some giant shoes to fill but teammates feel Cole is next man up.
“What impresses me the most is, he’s like, I don’t want to do comparisons, but he’s like J-Walk,” Williams said earlier this week. “He’s versatile, he can do pass rush, he can cover, he can key the line, he can play run, he can do whatever you need him to do, and he’s going be there. And he makes me a better player every day.”
What’s odd about the Walker comparison is how the two players took different paths to Georgia. Walker was a full-time EDGE defender for most of his high school career. He took his place on the end of the line of scrimmage and often rushed the passer from either a two or three-point stance. That wasn’t the case for Cole.
The Virginia native was a defensive back early in his high school career, making the move to linebacker later on. Maybe it was a move of necessity seeing as how Cole went from around 6-feet, maybe 6-foot-1 during the first couple of years of high school to 6-foot-3 and some change as an upperclassman. He also filled out to around 220 pounds before he got to Georgia.
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His first season at UGA saw him eventually crack the rotation as a situational player. Cole came in on third down where he primarily helped in coverage. Williams isn’t the only inside ‘backer who knows his position mate is capable of more.
“Shoot, he really impressed me,” Raylen Wilson said of Cole earlier this spring. ‘Usually his coverage ability is good, he’s really long. So that plays a good role for him. And his rushing ability, mainly, he can rush a whole lot. So that’s what I really wanna see out of him this year.”
The EDGE position is where Georgia was hit hardest by the transfer portal. Walker and Mykel Williams exiting for the NFL was expected. Losing Damon Wilson to Missouri and Samuel M’Pemba to Texas A&M was not. The Bulldogs are looking for help at that spot and Cole can pitch in.
“I play everything. If I’m on the field, coach can put me anywhere, I’ll play that,” Cole told reporters recently. “Pass rushing is a big thing for me so I just want to keep working on it this offseason.”
