As of late, the Georgia football defense has been the story of the team. The year started with a high-flying offense that for a while led the NCAA in total points per game. While the offense is still proving to be one of the best in the country, the defense made a statement against the Florida Gators bu not allowing a score until late in the fourth quarter against an offense that Aaron Murray said at the beginning of the season could be one of the best offenses in the SEC.
The leader of that defense comes in many forms, but none quite like Chris Cole. The star linebacker has 49 total tackles on the year along with 3.5 sacks and two scoop-and-score touchdowns. The freakishly athletic linebacker for his 6'3 235-pound frame has made headlines, and Ole Miss could be his chance to secure the greatest achievement for a collegiate linebacker: the Butkus Award.
Chris Cole could secure the Butkus Award with big game against Ole Miss
The biggest stages are when Cole has taken over for Georgia. He had two fumble recoveries, a touchdown, and eight total tackles in Georgia's first test against Oklahoma earlier this season. In the past three games against Alabama, Auburn, and Florida, he has had a total of 27 tackles and a touchdown, with 19 of those tackles being solo tackles.
He has played his best football in the past month, and if Cole continues that against the Rebels' high-flying offense with Trinidad Chambliss on Saturday, he could absolutely secure the Butkus Award for 2026 and would be the fourth linebacker to achieve the accomplishment in Kirby Smart's 11-year tenure at Georgia.
The last two times Georgia played Ole Miss, Cole was in the top three in total tackles for the Bulldogs, and he looks to have an even bigger impact this time around in Vaught Hemingway Stadium. Despite Heisman hopeful running back Kewan Lacy being out, it will still be crucial that Cole plays at his best on Saturday.
At the beginning of the season, Cole was not on hardly any draft boards to be a day-one NFL draft pick, and was actually fortunate to be called a second rounder at that. Now, almost every mock draft you see has him going in the top 15 and the top linebacker in the draft. Nicknamed "The Tarantula," Cole has become a staple of this Georgia defense. Without his impact on the field, there is no telling how this Georgia team would have looked going into November.
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