Georgia Football 2018 recruit: Nations No.3 DE Brenton Cox

What type of player is he?

Cox is one of the most talented defensive players that UGA signed in this class. He could end up either playing defensive end or outside linebacker based on his tape and size. Cox is explosive and has impressive pass rushing skills. However, he also has about an extra 25-30lbs on Adam Anderson and Azeez Ojulari. That’s why he could end up playing with his hand on the ground.

I’m not entirely sure what role Cox will fill on the UGA defense. He is an explosive pass rusher which makes me think that he would be wasted playing the DE position that Jonathan Ledbetter has made his own. However, he also has more size than UGA’s traditional OLB’s will have.

I could eventually see him bouncing between the two. On obvious passing downs, Cox would be a terror at DE, especially if UGA also rushed OLB’s like Anderson and Walter Grant. He would also be a fantastic run stuffer at OLB thanks to his size and side to side athleticism.

One thing is for sure, Cox is the kind of player Kirby Smart will love. He has a very high motor and I can absolutely see Smart developing him. Charles Johnson has a similar size/pass rushing profile to Cox and I think he has a very bright future ahead of him. Having him come in early and pushing the current players is going to be really good for this 2018 team.