With CJ Allen moving on to the NFL, Georgia has a hole to replace in the middle of its defense.

Chris Cole would seem like the most obvious replacement. He played significant snaps last season for the Bulldogs, doing a little bit of everything in the middle of the Georgia defense.

He finished with 59 tackles. He had 2 pass breakups to go along with 7.0 tackles for loss.

But perhaps most importantly, Cole had 4.5 sacks last season for the Bulldogs. That was the most of anyone on the team.

And for as much as Georgia wants Cole to replicate what Allen as the leader of the defense, the Bulldogs need Cole to continue to improve as a pass rusher.

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach circled Cole as the player to watch this spring.

“The Bulldogs had only 20 sacks last season, which tied for 107th in the FBS,” Schlabach said. “Outside linebacker Chris Cole had 4.5 of those and is coming back.”

Cole has already shown he can do a bit of everything during his time at Georgia. When current Philadelphia Eagle Smael Mondon went down with an injury during the 2024 season, Cole stepped in as a third-down linebacker for the Bulldogs. He was strong in coverage, due in no small part to being a safety in high school.

Georgia landed Cole as a five-star prospect in the 2024 signing class. To this point, he’s lived up to that billing.

But Georgia needs him to take another step forward in 2026.

Cole won’t be doing it alone at either linebacker or as an edge rusher. Georgia returns linebacker Raylen Wilson, while fellow 2024 five-star linebacker Justin Williams is poised to pick up a lot of the snaps Allen used to play.

“It’s going to be a definitely big role,” Cole said following Georgia’s loss to Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl. “You know, CJ, you know, is one of our captains and one of our leaders. So, you know, him being gone now, we definitely all got to step up.”

That depth at inside linebacker should give Georgia defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann the creative freedom to put Cole in positions for him to impact the game.

The Bulldogs are also likely to be in a better spot at outside linebacker than they were a season ago. Gabe Harris and Quintavius Johnson are back, while the Bulldogs will look to get more production out of Isaiah Gibson, Darren Ikinnagbon and Chase Linton.

Entering his third season, Cole is no longer a young player. He’ll be looked to as one of the leaders on a defense that should be one of the best in the country.

Cole was arrested on reckless driving charges after he was allegedly clocked driving 105 miles per hour in February. This is not the first time Georgia has dealt with this issue, which made Cole’s arrest all the more disappointing.

Cole did take the rare step of using his social media to publicly apologize for the incident. Traditionally, Georgia has preferred to keep those remarks in house.

“I recognize the seriousness of this matter and the responsibility that comes with representing the University of Georgia and our football program,” Cole wrote. “I understand that there are high standards for how we conduct ourselves, and I take that responsibility very seriously. I deeply regret the impact and negative attention this has caused for my coaches, teammates, and family. As I continue to grow and develop as a young man, I am focused on making better decisions. I respect the process and will cooperate fully as the matter is reviewed. I remain committed to upholding the values of our program and conducting myself in a way that reflects positively on my coaches, teammates, family and the fans who support us so passionately.”

Cole knows he has to better for Georgia, both on and off the field. If he’s able to do that, it wouldn’t be a surprise to find himself in a spot similar to that of Allen a year from now at next year’s NFL combine.

But Cole also wants a better end to the season than what he experienced last year. The Bulldogs failed to sack Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss once in two games against the Rebels.

The Bulldogs have to improve as a pass rushing team. Cole was Georgia’s leading pass rusher a season ago. He knows he’ll have to get even better in 2026 to accomplish everything he hopes to from both an individual and team standpoint.

“I’d say just like we just want to keep getting better and just getting back to the basics and seeing little things,” Cole said. “Having great eye control, having great tackling.”