cfb zeitgeistZeitgeist
OFFSEASON · SUMMER 2026 · COMMITMENT SEASON
Heisman / Players / Chris Cole /Georgia

Chris Cole

LB · Georgia · So · #9

Below the discourse floor — the honest stats-only state.

61 TACKLES · 4.5 SACKS

2026 RETURNINGReturning to Georgia for 2026

2026 Outlook

Returning to Georgia for 2026

2026 Depth chart

Projected starter

Linebacker · Georgia

Returning around him

  • 37% of 2024 offensive production back (Moderate turnover)
  • 8 Georgia players drafted to NFL
  • Transfer portal: -7 net (9 in / 16 out)

2026 Award watch

No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)

Georgia · Last season: 12-2 (AP #2) · Talent rank #1 · 2026 recruiting class #2

LB · GEORGIA · SEC

Chris Cole

  • 2
  • #9
  • 6-3 | 235 lb
  • Salem, VA

CFB Zeitgeist Score

76

All-Conference in the position cohort. Carried by sacks at the 95th percentile.

Heisman Heat

#4099

<1% win probability

Fan Belief

Awaiting

Player-specific FI not yet ingested. Falls back to team mood below.

Respect Gap

Awaiting

Coming online with player-level FI.

Reality Gap

Awaiting

Coming online with player-level FI.

ACCOLADE PROBABILITY

Heisman

<1%

TOP LB AWARD

Butkus

CONSENSUS

All-American

Player Standing · 17 rungs

Tier 2 · Starter

R07 · Impact starter

Impact starter. Producing measurable value above replacement.

Not on team2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Career Arc

HS
Recruit
★★★★★
#29 national
CFB
College
Georgia
2024–2025
NFL
NFL Draft
Not drafted (yet)

Identity & Role

The durable bio layer: position, size, hometown, and roster role.

PositionLB
Class2
Jersey9
Measurements6-3 | 235 lb
HometownSalem, VA
Primary teamGeorgia

Recruiting Pedigree

How big the prospect was before college, and whether the later career arc beat that expectation.

Top pedigree 5-star No. 29 recruit
Composite rating 0.9866 HighSchool
Signed with Georgia 2024
Origin Salem Salem, VA, USA
Class Profile Context
2024 5-star | 0.9866 No. 29 recruit | HighSchool | Georgia

Transfer Arc

Portal movement changes role, context, and perception. This keeps that path in one place.

Portal moves 0 No portal entry on file
Latest destination -- --
Transfer stars -- CFBD transfer rating context
Eligibility -- Transfer date TBD
Season Move Context
No transfer portal moves on file for this player.

Heisman Lens · 2024 Season · Final

Where the player landed at the end of the listed season — final nowcast rank, win/finalist/ballot probabilities, and the cleanest official Heisman placement on file.

HIGH CONFIDENCE· through week 16
Current nowcast#4099Latest modeled ballot order
Season forecast#4100Where the full season sim points
Win probability0.0%Chance to actually win the trophy
Finalist probability0.0%Chance to make the finalist tier
Ballot probability0.0%Chance to appear anywhere on a ballot
Best official finish--Best completed Heisman placement on file

Heisman Futures

Not yet listed on major futures markets.

No achievements unlocked yet this season.

Selector Grid · 2025

AP
FWAA
AFCA
WCFF
SN
SI

Selector recognition fills in once the major honors lists (AP, FWAA, AFCA, Walter Camp, Sporting News, SI) are scraped and ingested.

NIL · Recruiting · NFL Draft

Market value, pedigree & pro outcome

Recruit stars

★★★★★

to Georgia

Composite

0.9866

#29 national

Today’s Hot-Take

The Hot-Take engine fires when this player’s percentile profile crosses a defensible threshold (top 10% in a cohort, 100+ snap sample). When it’s quiet, the model is honoring its “must be defensible” rule.

Anti-Take

PENDING

The contrarian read fires when the rules-engine detects a stat that complicates the Hot-Take. Quiet here means the model hasn’t found a defensible counter yet — not that one doesn’t exist.

The Room on Chris Cole

Fan sentiment · Awaiting signal

The Room reads fan conversation around a player — who’s talking, what they believe, and how that shifts. It publishes once weekly volume rebuilds; for most players that’s in-season, when game-week chatter spikes.

Cohort divergence map

Cohort divergence reads how different fanbases talk about this player. Returns once weekly mentions clear the publish floor.

Rival Radar

How rival fanbases talk about Chris Cole

No rival-bucket mentions in the current season.

Signature Story

Awaiting candidate metric

He hasn't written his page yet — we'll start filling it in when there are enough snaps to rank against his peers.

Signature Moment

No signature moment on the ledger yet.

Returns once this player puts together a multi-game body of work — single-game flashes alone don't clear the bar.

A 3-act season arc returns once this player has six or more games on the ledger.

Season Pace · Projection

Where the defensive totals stand

final
Through 14g
61Tackles
7Tackles for loss
4.5Sacks
Per game
4Tackles
0.5Tackles for loss
0.3Sacks
Final
61Tackles
7Tackles for loss
4.5Sacks

Why this is a rare defensive case

The fast read on the thing that makes this player more than a generic stat line.

Chris Cole is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on Georgia's defense, with 4.5 sacks, 7.0 tackles for loss, and -- interceptions through the current loaded season. For a defender, the question is never just production; it is whether elite disruption and team context can become nationally undeniable.

Current place #4099 0.0% win | 0.0% finalist
Role load -- Role share still loading
Profile quirk Blue-chip pedigree No. 29 recruit

2025 Season · Final

Traditional stats first. Advanced context underneath.

Last season

DEF season snapshot

2025 season snapshot | final

2025 season snapshot | finalData: CFBD player stats + local Heisman modelPeer context: same position + same level
Total tackles 61 36 solo | #387/4942 (92nd pct)
TFL 7.0 Backfield disruption | #277/4972 (94th pct)
Sacks 4.5 Pass-rush finish | #136/4972 (97th pct)
Player identity What kind of player is this?

30-second read

What kind of player is this?

High-disruption defender | High-volume tackler against FBS defenders.

High-disruption defenderHigh-volume tackler

2025 Season · Final

2025 season snapshot | final

Tackling & Disruption

TOT
61 92nd
SOLO
36 93rd
TFL
7.0 94th
SACK
4.5 97th

Coverage & Takeaways

PD
2 64th

Game Log · Week-by-week

2025 season · 14 games

Box score · CFBD
WkOppTKLSOLOTFLSACKINTPDNote
Wk 1W 45-7vs Marshall541.00.00
Wk 2W 28-6vs Austin Peay221.01.00
Wk 3W 44-41@ Tennessee721.01.01Season-high 7 tackles
Wk 5L 21-24vs Alabama531.01.00
Wk 6W 35-14vs Kentucky110.00.00
Wk 7W 20-10@ Auburn330.00.01
Wk 8W 43-35vs Ole Miss430.00.00
Wk 10W 24-20@ Florida100.00.00
Wk 11W 41-21@ Mississippi State520.00.00
Wk 12W 35-10vs Texas741.00.00
Wk 13W 35-3vs Charlotte421.01.00
Wk 14W 16-9@ Georgia Tech530.50.00
Wk 15W 28-7@ Alabama530.50.50
BowlL 34-39vs Ole Miss740.00.00
Total61367.04.52
Season-by-season tables Career rows + per-season box score

Traditional history

Traditional Stats

Season rows up top, career context at the bottom.

Season rows Career row

Season context · Team result + system

2024Georgia11-3HC: Kirby Smart · Pass-leaning
2025Georgia12-2HC: Kirby Smart · Run-leaning
SeasonTeam
2025Georgia61367.04.52----
2024Georgia16112.00.01----
Career2 loaded seasons77479.04.53----
Advanced layer Usage, value, and context

Advanced metrics second

Advanced Metrics

Usage, value, and opponent-adjusted context.

Usage Value Context
Disruption stats

TFL, sacks, and QB hurries are grouped together because defensive Heisman cases are usually built on visible havoc, not on tackle counts alone.

Coverage splash

Pass breakups, interceptions, and forced fumbles matter because national awards voters respond to plays that change possessions and highlight reels.

Peer percentile

Every percentile is compared against players at the same position and level, so an FBS quarterback is judged against FBS quarterbacks, not the whole sport.

Traditional first

The top tables stick to the stats fans already know from broadcasts and box scores. Advanced context is pushed underneath instead of replacing the basics.

INT -- -- pick-six TD
Pass breakups 2 Coverage disruption | #792/2184 (64th pct)
QB pressures 0 Quarterback hurries
Open full stat explorer
0 metrics visible Showing all metrics
Group Metric Value Rank Pct Why it matters
Defense Total tackles 61 #387/4942 92nd pct Volumevs FBS DEF
Defense TFL 7.0 #277/4972 94th pct Disruptionvs FBS DEF
Defense Sacks 4.5 #136/4972 97th pct Disruptionvs FBS DEF
Defense Pass breakups 2 #792/2184 64th pct Coveragevs FBS DEF
Defense Solo tackles 36 #322/4584 93rd pct Volumevs FBS DEF

Player Standing

Universal 17-step ladder. Tier pills below; accolade streams nested.

AWAITING CLASSIFICATION

On-team2-deepStartingRecognizedEliteApex

AWAITING CLASSIFICATION · Rung None of 16

Why he’s here

Standing classification populates when honors, Heisman, and roster signals all align.

What moves him up

What moves him down

Accolade streams

StatusAwaiting tracker

The Butkus award tracker integrates per-week probability once a dedicated scraper for this award lands. Confirmed past winners and finalists for this player will surface here.

Splits · Per-game

2025 season · 14 games

Home/Road · Win/Loss · Season halves

Home vs Road

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Home8g4.40.60.40.0
Road6g4.30.30.20.3

Win vs Loss

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Wins12g4.10.50.30.2
Losses2g6.00.50.50.0

First half vs Second half

TKL/gTFL/gSACK/gPD/g
Weeks 1-77g4.30.60.40.3
Weeks 8+7g4.40.40.20.0

Pocket and defense-quality (clean vs. pressure) splits are coming soon.

Savant · Box-rate percentiles

Where this profile ranks vs the LB cohort

76All-Conference
6 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: sacks (94th). Strength: tackles for loss (89th). Concern: qb hurries (22nd).

Sacks#136 / 2975 · 95th pct
4.5defe
Tackles for loss#277 / 2975 · 90th pct
7.0defe
Solo tackles#322 / 2975 · 89th pct
36defe
Tackles#387 / 2975 · 87th pct
61defe
Passes defended#777 / 2975 · 67th pct
2defe
QB hurries#1662 / 2975 · 22nd pct
0defe

Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.

Advanced Savant · LB · 2024

Percentile Card

Advanced opponent-adjusted percentile bars are coming soon for this player.

P4G5All FBS
EPA / dropback
awaiting
CPOE
awaiting
Success rate
awaiting
Explosive rate (20+)
awaiting
aDOT
awaiting
Deep-ball accuracy
awaiting
Pressure-to-sack
awaiting
3rd-down EPA
awaiting
Red-zone TD rate
awaiting
Play-action EPA
awaiting
Scramble EPA
awaiting
Turnover-worthy play rate
awaiting

Advanced Savant

Opponent-adjusted advanced metrics with a cohort filter.

Advanced opponent-adjusted metrics are coming soon for this player. Selected cohort: P4.

Peer Comparator · Fingerprint match

Three closest profiles by box-rate percentile

3 peers · 6 metrics
Chris ColeGeorgiaMichael MontgomerySouthern Miss· 94% simChris JonesSouthern Miss· 93% simOwen LongColorado State· 86% sim
Sacks
95
Cole
89
Montgomery
91
Jones
80
Long
Tackles for loss
90
Cole
85
Montgomery
96
Jones
80
Long
Solo tackles
89
Cole
82
Montgomery
97
Jones
99
Long
Tackles
87
Cole
99
Montgomery
100
Jones
100
Long
Passes defended
67
Cole
67
Montgomery
67
Jones
91
Long
QB hurries
22
Cole
22
Montgomery
22
Jones
22
Long

Closest peers by overall box-score percentile profile at the same position.

Player DNA

The Thumper

Downhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.

LB

His 2025 production profile sits closest to Anthony Hill Jr.’s 2023 season.

Anthony Hill Jr.

87%match

Texas · 2023

NFL Rd 2 · Pk 28
#2

Jordan Hall

Michigan State · 2023

82%
#3

Ryan Selig

Western Michigan · 2021

76%
#4

Jamoi Hodge

TCU · 2022

76%
#5

Brad Spence

Arkansas · 2024

76%

Matches Anthony on

Sack rate
TFL rate
Weight

Differs from Anthony on

Class year (higher)

Not enough data yet for this comparison.

As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Ethan Day's sophomore season at North Texas (2025).

Ethan Day

78%match

North Texas · 2025

#2

Kamren Robinson

Virginia · 2024

76%
#3

Brad Spence

Arkansas · 2024

76%
#4

Trey Reddick

Maryland · 2025

76%
#5

Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa

Notre Dame · 2025

74%

Matches Ethan on

TFL rate
Tackle volume
Weight

Supporting Cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2025 season

Head Coach

Kirby Smart

Pass share

42.5%

417 pass / 565 run

Plays / game

70.1

14 games

OL sack rate (allowed)

6.2%

290 dropbacks · PBP

Scheme: Run-leaning.

Coaching Lineage · 2024–2025

1 coach
2024
Kirby Smart
Georgia
2025
Kirby Smart
Georgia

Played his entire career under Kirby Smart.

Bio · Recruiting · Transfer · Roster

Off-field context — switch tabs to drill into recruit profile, transfer arc, or roster timeline.

HometownSalem, VA
Height6'3"
Weight235 lb
Class2
PositionLB
Jersey9

Trophy Case · Detail

Every honor on the ledger, broken out by stream and selector.

Honors

No formal honors on the ledger yet

All-America, all-conference, player-of-the-week, watch-list, and postseason awards land here when they're earned. The absence is the signal: most players never collect formal honors, and that's its own kind of context.

Honors Timeline

Season-end distinction and week-by-week recognition on one timeline.

Season Honor Scope Team / Selector Context
No formal honors on the ledger yet. All-America, all-conference, weekly awards, watch lists, and postseason trophies land here when they’re earned.

Heisman By Year

Modeled rank and official finish by season.

Season Team Role Latest Model Forecast Win Finalist Official Finish Points Context
2024 Georgia LB2 #4099 #4100 0.0% 0.0% -- -- W16 snapshot | SEC

Roster Timeline

Team, conference, and class by season.

Season Team Conference Pos Class Bio
2025 Georgia SEC LB 2 No. 9 | 6-3 | 235 lb | Salem, VA
2024 Georgia SEC LB 2 No. 9 | 6-3 | 235 lb | Salem, VA