Chris Cole

Week 4

Georgia beat Oklahoma 41–13 in Athens, Georgia, September 26, 2026.

Solo tackles

7

Fumble-return yards

108

Oklahoma rushing

65 yds on 35 carries

Oklahoma turnovers

4

Oklahoma had third-and-goal at the Georgia 2, down 14–0 at the end of a nine-play drive, when John Mateer rolled left, lost 13 yards and the ball; Cole picked it up at the 15 and ran 85 yards the other way. He had sacked Mateer four snaps earlier on the same drive. His second recovery came on fourth-and-1 at the Oklahoma 43 with two minutes left in the half: Raylen Wilson's sack knocked the ball loose, Cole returned it 23 yards to the 11, and Georgia scored two plays later to lead 28–0.

The number that stands out

Georgia gained 306 yards. Oklahoma gained 296. Ten yards separated the two offenses in a game decided by 28 points. Oklahoma ran 69 plays to Georgia's 53, made 16 first downs to 12 and held the ball for 35:27 to 24:02. It also turned the ball over four times. Georgia scored 17 points off those turnovers, 14 of them after the two Cole recovered — and his 108 return yards appear nowhere in Georgia's 306, because returns are not offense.

Program history

• The first Bulldog with two fumble recoveries in a game since Roquan Smith, in the 2017 SEC Championship Game against Auburn.

  Georgia Athletics(the school's own site) · September 28, 2026

• His 85-yard return is the fourth-longest fumble return in school history.

  Georgia Athletics(the school's own site) · September 28, 2026

• SEC Defensive Player of the Week: the first weekly honor of his career, and the first the SEC has given a Georgia player this season.

  The Red & Black · September 28, 2026

• SEC All-Freshman Team in 2024; on the Butkus Award preseason watch list and Athlon's preseason All-SEC second team in 2026.

  Georgia Athletics(the school's own site) · September 29, 2026

Where he comes from

He played at Salem High School, moving from defensive back to linebacker as a junior; as a senior he helped Salem to a 13–2 record and the VHSL Class 4 state final, was a semifinalist for the high school Butkus Award and was selected for the Under Armour All-America Game. He also ran the hurdles, finishing fourth in the 60-meter hurdles at the 2023 Nike Indoor Nationals. He committed to Georgia in September 2023 and enrolled in January 2024.

What others have written

• Athens Banner-Herald

  How Chris Cole's big day fueled Georgia defense in win over Oklahoma

  Will Cheney · Sep 26, 2026

  The postgame story: the Oklahoma drive that ended in Cole's return, his own account of coming free off the edge when the tight end stayed in to block, KJ Bolden and Gunner Stockton on his afternoon, and a defense that turned four takeaways into 17 points.

  “it was effectively a 14-point swing at a crucial point in the contest”

• Sports Illustrated

  Georgia Football Winners and Losers from Big Win Over Oklahoma Sooners

  Ryan Kerley · Sep 27, 2026

  Puts Cole's draft stock first among the day's winners: second on the team in tackles, a sack of Mateer, fast enough off the ball to beat tackles clean at times, and already talked about as an early pick. It also passes along his coach crediting the pressure around him for the recoveries.

  “Cole was already considered a potential first round NFL Draft pick”

The schedule ahead

Opponents, dates and sites as announced, confirmed September 29, 2026.

Two recoveries in one afternoon say something about where he was standing and something about luck. The games that follow will separate the two.

• October 3, 2026vs VanderbiltHome
• October 10, 2026at AlabamaAway
• October 17, 2026vs AuburnHome
• October 31, 2026vs Florida (Atlanta)Neutral