Georgia Football Star Chris Cole Continues His Elite Junior Season

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ATLANTA - We reported on Dawg Post throughout the off-season that the Georgia Bulldogs have a superstar in Chris Cole.

Known as the “tarantula” due to his lengthy frame, Cole is a speedy linebacker with natural instincts and toughness at 6-foot-3 235-pounds.

The junior linebacker could be Glenn Schumann’s next Butkus Award winner after another dominant performance against the Gators. Cole made nine total tackles with one sack and one TFL during Georgia’s big win. He also broke Florida’s back with a long 66-yard fumble return touchdown that gave the Bulldogs a 24-0 halftime lead.

Georgia football coach Kirby Smart had a lot to say about Cole’s big play after Georgia’s impressive victory.

“That was a big play in the game. It was a huge momentum play because, again, it's really a 14-point swing. If they go down and score, fumble, Chris picks it up and scores, which he has a knack for doing. That's a big play in the game.”

“If you get sacks, then you get turnovers,” Smart added. “Most fumbles occur on sacks. We got pressure on the quarterback. We affected both quarterbacks and I think anybody will tell you, if you can't run the ball, and they struggle to run it, it makes you one-dimensional, and then everybody gets to feast and rush the passer.”

Junior outside linebacker Quintavius Johnson forced the fumble, and for the second time this season, Cole was able to locate the football, make a play on it, and take it back to the house for seven.

“I feel like this performance helps us build and get better and better every week. We focused on our off week of getting better at the little things and trying to work on our tackling, our communication, and just
overall being better as a defense.”

Led by Cole, Georgia’s defense was able to feast on Florida’s offense from all three levels. The Bulldog defensive front was outstanding, allowing just 48 yards on the ground. They also created consistent chaos in the backfield, securing 11 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and sacking the quarterback four times.

The Bulldogs are playing elite, and the play of Chris Cole is a big reason why. He’s been one of the game’s top defenders, making game-changing plays on a weekly basis. 

Cole has made 49 total tackles this season with 3.5 sacks, three pass deflections, three fumble recoveries, and two defensive touchdowns.