Randall Cobb joining SEC Network as Studio Analyst

Get ready to see a lot more of Goldeneyes on your television. As we suspected when he popped up on the SEC Network’s set yesterday during SEC Media Days, Randall Cobb is joining the network as a college football studio analyst. The former Cat will appear on select editions of SEC Now throughout the fall and will also join co-host Alyssa Lang on Out of Pocket Presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors.

“I am incredibly excited to be coming home to the SEC with this new role,” Cobb said in a press release from ESPN. “The level of greatness this conference provides year after year is unmatched – I cannot wait to return to the conference family with this SEC Network crew.”

Cobb is a Kentucky Football legend, earning First Team All-American and First Team All-SEC honors during his three-year career as a Wildcat (2008-10). Cobb played quarterback, wide receiver, and returner under Rich Brooks and Joker Phillips, setting the SEC single-season record for all-purpose yardage (2,396 yards in 2010) and the Kentucky career record for touchdowns (37), which has since been broken by Benny Snell.

Following his junior season, Cobb was selected No. 64 overall by the Green Bay Packers in the 2011 NFL Draft. His pro debut was one for the ages, as he scored two touchdowns in Green Bay’s season-opener vs. New Orleans, one on a 108-yard kickoff return. In his first three years in the league, Cobb totaled nearly 3,000 yards and 35 touchdowns. Over his 13 seasons in the NFL, he tallied over 7,600 yards and 54 touchdowns, including a career-high 1,287 yards in the 2014 season, which earned him a spot in the Pro Bowl.

“We are thrilled to welcome Randall to the SEC Network crew,” said Pete Watters, SEC Network Coordinating Producer II. “His experience and knowledge of the game, both from playing at Kentucky and in the NFL, will be such an asset to our football coverage.”

Cobb retired from the NFL after the 2023 season, which he spent on the New York Jets with his former Green Bay teammate Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers missed the 2023 season after tearing his Achilles in the Jets’ first game, which Cobb said was an eye-opener for his own career.

“Five plays into the season,” Cobb said of Rodgers’ injury on the SEC Network this morning. “When my man went down last year, it was tough. We had a tough time trying to get over that situation. I’m glad to be on the other side now where I can look back and reflect on my career and the moments between college and the NFL. I was able to gain so much knowledge with the game and I’m looking forward to being able to talk about it now.”

Cobb was inducted into the UK Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017 and the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame in 2022. Now, he’s embarking on a new career, and can’t wait to get back into the film room to break down the SEC’s 16 teams.

“I’ve been in the NFL for so long, switching back over to the college product, getting used to the plays and the hashes, the formations. A lot of teams are going to the spread offense and putting a lot of guys outside the numbers and making the box really light for your run game. Getting back into that rhythm and understanding systematically what teams are trying to do and what they’re trying to attack.”

Congrats, Goldeneyes. It’s great to see some Blue getting into the SEC Network.

UPDATE: Not so fast! Cobb took to social media to correct ESPN’s press release and say he’s not officially retired just yet.

Not officially retired but I’m excited for this new opportunity! Catch me and @AlyssaLang on Out of Pocket Wednesdays on the SEC Network! https://t.co/FbsIKCQK3G

— Randall Cobb (@rcobb18) July 18, 2024