Chris Cole gives Georgia football an ‘insane amount of energy’

ATHENS — Inside linebacker Chris Cole continues to show his potential for the Bulldogs entering his sophomore season.

“He works really hard, and he’s got great toughness and length,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said Tuesday. “He’s got multiple positions. He plays all over the field for us, and he’s just a joy to work with. He’s a note taker, a student of the game.

“When you talk about successful people, they have pride in their performance. He has a lot of pride in his performance.”

Cole, 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, is the Swiss Army knife of a Bulldogs defense that is eager to cut into a new season Saturday against Marshall.

“We’re super excited to show everyone what we’ve been working on during the offseason and during fall camp,” Cole said Tuesday night. “We’re just ready to compete.”

That’s exactly what Cole does on every snap, according to UGA tight end Lawson Luckie, who has lined up opposite Cole the past 18 months of practices.

“He’s just a dude that brings an insane amount of energy,” Luckie said after Tuesday afternoon’s practice. “It’s sideline to sideline. He’s everywhere, man. He runs so hard every play. He’s just wild, man. His hat’s always on fire.”

Smart revealed Georgia plans to deploy Cole in several positions this season, taking advantage of his versatility while creating headaches for offensive coordinators trying to game plan around him.

“He can stand back, play inside backer or play on the edges, (or) he can walk out in space and play apex,” Smart said. “He’s long, he’s rangy, but the number one thing is he’s a high-effort player.”

That’s meant extra time in the film room for Cole, who, as Smart noted, prides himself on being a student of the game.

“It’s definitely like a lot of film, because I bounce around everywhere,” Cole said. “Just like tying down on what my job is, depending if I’m playing Jack (outside linebacker), Star (defensive back), Money (middle linebacker), just like anytime I’m on the field.

“It’s knowing my job and what I’m supposed to do.”

Cole said he has worked most on his pass rush this offseason, looking to make the most of the lessons learned from UGA coaches and former Bulldogs linebacker and Falcons first-round draft pick Jalon Walker.

“When I first got here, I didn’t really know how to pass rush,” said Cole, a five-star prospect that was ranked 29th overall in his recruiting class by the 247Sports Composite.

“That was my first real time playing Jack,” Cole said. “I also still talk to him and try to kind of ask him questions, you know, ‘How do you feel about this?’ And I send him videos of myself. (Walker’s) just trying to help me out.”

Cole said he’s driven by his love of the game and has wanted to play at his best from an early age.

“You know, since I was a kid, my first time playing, I just always had to drive just to show effort,” Cole said. “Honestly, my family has played a big role for me. They’ve always supported me throughout my whole life. ... They’re basically my ‘Why.’