Brenton Cox maturing, contributing and showing ‘elite’ potential as UGA freshman

Georgia freshman outside linebacker Brenton Cox had quite the Saturday to remember against Middle Tennessee. Well, for some reasons.

But, there are other reasons he may want to forget. Let’s start with the good.

Cox, seen mainly as a pass rusher on second-and-third downs for the Bulldogs, had a career-best performance with four tackles and a pass breakup. The deflection came at a crucial point — well for the sake of the drive, at least — on a third-and-8.

Blue Raiders’ quarterback Brent Stockstill saw an open receiver, but Cox displayed a vertical and swatted the pass before it could reach the vicinity of the target. It has been plays like this that have shown glimpses of Cox’s future as an outside linebacker.

He has recorded a statistic in two-of-three games for Georgia and will contribute as the late-down specialist as the Bulldogs open a stretch of seven consecutive SEC games at Missouri (Noon, ESPN).

“For only being a freshman, he can be an elite player, in my opinion,” Georgia sophomore Monty Rice said. “He just has to keep working, and he can be great.”

Now for the bad. Cox was seen on the television feed in a skirmish with fellow outside linebacker D’Andre Walker — the senior leader among the group. According to defensive end Jonathan Ledbetter, it involved a defensive bust in which Middle Tennessee was able to bust open a big run.

An apparent disagreement led to the incident in which both Cox and Walker had to be held back by coaches. After the game, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart indicated it was “love” and referenced an incident while at Alabama with former Butkus Award winner Reuben Foster.

Ledbetter concurred and indicated it was for the benefit of Georgia’s future performance.

“Guys do get heated and frustrated with each other, but you just talk,” he said. “You just keep moving on. It’s always the next play. We go in the locker room, we hug on each other, we love on each other and tell each other, ‘Bro, I love you, but I’m telling you this, you need to do it this way, and if I need to help you, just let me know.’”

Added Georgia safety Richard LeCounte: “He’s always going to give everything he has, and he expects the same from us.”

Cox’s poor moments echo that of every freshman player who is highly-touted and expected to contribute, but it isn’t the first time to catch the ire of the coaching staff. During an August 14 practice, Smart wasn’t pleased with Cox’s demeanor and told him to “fix the attitude.”

Cox has been one of Georgia’s most-dedicated projects on the practice field, apparently because Smart and outside linebackers’ coach Dan Lanning envision potential. Georgia won the recruiting battle over Alabama in December for the five-star out of Stockbridge, and it was because Cox was prioritized.

He is seen as a vital piece to the Bulldogs’ future, yet the critique that remains to the forefront is maturity.

“He probably hasn’t shown up in games as much as he has in practice,” Smart said. “Brenton just has to continue to grow up and mature. I’m hoping that a lot of these freshmen can start to have a little confidence where they get over the butterflies and anxiety. He’s getting better with each and every game.’”

Stockbridge head coach Kevin Whitley believes Cox will grow into the demands of college football sooner-than-later. Once Cox becomes more of a fixture on Georgia’s defense, the flashes of production may outweigh any so-called love spats.

“Kirby mirrors a lot of what I did with Brenton,” Whitley said. “If I needed to get in his face, then I got in his face. He will get right.”