Commander Country

Commanders LB Cole Holcomb 'Taking Charge' of Washington Defense

Holcomb is entering his fourth season with the Commanders.

Jeremy Brener

When you think of the Washington Commanders defense, the first name to come to mind is probably either former No. 2 overall pick Chase Young or Pro Bowler Jonathan Allen. But there's a player who might not be on other people's radar who is "taking charge" of the defense.

It's a good thing that linebacker Cole Holcomb is emerging as a leader because there might not be a player who needs to step up more on the Commanders defense than Holcomb.

The former North Carolina Tar Heel is entering the final year of his rookie contract and he's set to be the team's primary middle linebacker this season.

This means that Holcomb will take on a greater leadership role than he did in 2021, something that defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio has recognized during the first part of training camp.

“Cole is really asserting himself in a leadership role," Del Rio said. "I think he is doing a great job mentoring some of the other linebackers, asserting himself in the huddle, taking charge and making the call, being really strong with it. I think his preparation is very strong. I’m happy with the way he has approached it."

The fourth-year linebacker is getting his shot at being a true leader in the group despite the fact he’s playing beside 2020 first round NFL Draft pick Jamin Davis.

Holcomb quietly led the team in tackles last season with 142 of them, 43 more than safety Kamren Curl, who finished second.

In the past, Holcomb was a quiet hero for the defense, but this season he's expected to be a little bit louder.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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