Player Career

Riley Cole Career Story

Career story, signature performances, transfer context, and season arc are grouped for biography-style searches.

Player Story

Riley Cole story

Riley Cole built his college career from 2016 through 2020 as a linebacker from Oneonta, AL wearing No. 4, spending time with South Alabama. The clearest part of Riley Cole's career was his defensive production: 218 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, and 1 pass defended across 38 career games in the available record. His largest box-score season came in 2020 with South Alabama. Those numbers show where he fit, how often the ball or action found him, and how his role developed over time.

Defensive careers can be hard to read from one number, but Riley Cole's production has multiple signals. With 38 career games in the available record, his career has enough shape to show both opportunity and production across South Alabama.

The arc is straightforward: Riley Cole moved through the depth chart, found a larger role, and turned that opportunity into production that can be understood through standard football numbers.

Career Arc

Track team changes, role shifts, and season-to-season movement.

  1. 1

    South Alabama

    2016-2020

    Opening stop

Season Value Progression

20162017201820192020
SeasonTeamPrimaryEfficiencyUsageDelta
2016 Regular SeasonSouth Alabama08.31.2
2017 Regular SeasonSouth Alabama3.5225.43.5
2018 Regular SeasonSouth Alabama218.42.6-1.5
2019 Regular SeasonSouth Alabama1633.89.514
2020 Regular SeasonSouth Alabama10.54815.8-5.5

Signature Performances

Top Games

#1 Featured game

vs App State

Week 9 · L 3-30 · Conference game

Loss with 5 impact plays across the defensive snap sheet.

5

Havoc Plays

90.3 takeover

5 disruption/tackle impact with 90.3 takeover score.

#2

vs UAB

Week 4 · L 10-42

2.5

Havoc Plays

87.5 takeover

Loss with 2.5 impact plays across the defensive snap sheet.

2.5 disruption/tackle impact with 87.5 takeover score.

#3

vs Oklahoma State

Week 2 · L 7-44

1

Havoc Plays

78.3 takeover

Loss with 1 impact plays across the defensive snap sheet.

1 disruption/tackle impact with 78.3 takeover score.

#4

vs Texas State

Week 7 · W 30-20 · Conference game

1.5

Havoc Plays

75 takeover

Win with 1.5 impact plays across the defensive snap sheet.

1.5 disruption/tackle impact with 75 takeover score.

#5

vs UL Monroe

Week 8 · W 38-14 · Conference game

2

Havoc Plays

73.6 takeover

Win with 2 impact plays across the defensive snap sheet.

2 disruption/tackle impact with 73.6 takeover score.

Top Seasons

#1 Season by Season Value

2020 Regular Season · South Alabama

10.5 primary output · 48 efficiency · 15.8 usage

69.5

#2

2019 Regular Season · South Alabama

62.2

16 primary · 33.8 efficiency · 9.5 usage

#3

2016 Regular Season · South Alabama

39.4

0 primary · 8.3 efficiency · 1.2 usage

Milestones

13

Impact games

7

Splash games

6

10+ tackle games