A unanimous three-star prospect, Cole had originally committed to attend Alabama. He switched his commitment to South Alabama after learning that the Crimson Tide planned to gray shirt him, which means he’d have to wait an extra semester before he could practice and play with the team.
In his first season with the Jaguars, Cole appeared on special teams for the first three games of the season before suffering a season-ending injury on a kickoff return. He’d ultimately take a redshirt season before getting back to action as a redshirt freshman in 2017. As a senior in 2020, Cole would have the second-most tackles among all defenders in the Sun-Belt, earning First-Team All-Conference honors.