As Chris Cole’s post-game interview neared its end Saturday night at Bryant-Denny Stadium, a probing question came his way.
He’d already spoken at length about “Mudita” and what that means. He praised Dwight Phillips Jr. for his game and repeated his defense’s charge: go spot the ball and keep playing no matter what just happened.
Good or bad.
This question was about the good.
Well, better yet, the very good.
That’s what Cole did all night against Alabama. The 6-foot-3, 235-pounder from Virginia had eight tackles, 2.5 TFLs and a sack. He also broke up two passes and added another QB hurry.
Those eight tackles matched his career-high from the Oklahoma game last month.
It was what Cole has done all season for the Bulldogs. Those eight tackles matched his career-high from last month’s Oklahoma game.
His totals for the year so far:
- 30 tackles (21 solo)
- 7.5 TFLs
- 3 passes defensed
- 2.5 sacks
- 2 fumble recoveries
- 1 85-yard scoop-and-score TD return
When those big plays have come, we’ve seen Cole get animated afterward. He’s busted out a finger wave that Dikembe Mutombo would be proud of. It usually comes when he hawks down a runner.
When asked about that, Cole flashed the biggest smile of his post-game interview scrum.
“That’s something I actually came up with like two, I’d say two, games ago,” he said. “When somebody tries to test me, I’ll say like ‘No, no, no,’ and I have another one where it’s like a tarantula crawling up my arm and all that.”
“That’s something that I do now, too.”
Georgia’s dynamic defender has earned a “Tarantula” nickname this fall. That’s because he’s swooping in on big plays like he’s a web-slinger.
Which one of those two does he like better?
“It depends on the moment,” Cole said. “Like if someone, like if the QB tries to run past me, I’ll say ‘No no no’ when I tackle them. Or just any guy on the perimeter. I’ll say ‘No no no.’ The tarantula, that’s just something I might pop out here and there.”
Did he pop that tarantula out in Tuscaloosa?
“Yes, I did,” Cole said. “After my sack.”
Cole’s 30 stops are halfway to his entire 2025 total. Those 7.5 TFLs have already surpassed last year’s total. That’s while playing in just one full game so far this year.
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Chris Cole: The backstory DawgNation needs to know
The full arc of Cole’s story is impressive. First, he never got a “B” in high school. He wanted to be a doctor one day, but only after his playing days were up.
The second thing to know is the stark transformation he underwent before arriving in Athens. After his junior year, Cole ranked among the nation’s top 200 overall prep recruits.
He was a highly rated 4-star safety, but he listened to some sage advice: bulk up and play closer to the ball.
The rangy, long-limbed safety put on 20-30 pounds over the spring and summer before his senior year. He did so without sacrificing a step of his explosiveness and athleticism.
If anything, he somehow looked even better in both metrics.
When that evolution was complete, the recruiting industry no longer saw an All-American safety, but a 5-star LB. Cole finished his senior year rated either the No. 2 or No. 3 LB in America by the national services.
Cole was no longer a 4-star. No longer a safety.
He’d evolved into the initial version of the tarantula that is now catching SEC offenses up in his web this season.
