Brian Cole II: From Last Chance U to Minnesota Vikings Draft Pick

Cole made stops at Michigan, EMCC, and Mississippi State before landing in Minnesota.

As we count down the days until the Vikings' opener against the Packers on September 13th, InsideTheVikings will be previewing every single player on the roster. Up next is a rookie safety with an incredibly interesting backstory.

No. 39: Brian Cole II (Safety)

• College: Mississippi State
• Drafted: 2020 seventh round (249th overall)
• NFL experience: N/A
• Age: 23
• Size: 6'2", 213
• 2019 stats (NCAA): 67 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 2 sacks, 1 INT, 2 PD, 1 FF, 1 FR, 104 KR yards
• Career stats (NCAA): 78 tackles, 10.5 TFL, 3 sacks, 2 INT, 2 PD, 1 FF, 1 FR, 329 KR yards

The Vikings have a lot of rookies with interesting backstories, but Brian Cole II's probably tops them all. He went from the top of the football world to the bottom, and then climbed back to the top and became an NFL draft pick.

A native of Saginaw, MI, Cole was a star wide receiver in high school and a top-80 recruit in the nation in the class of 2015. He spent his freshman season at the University of Michigan, catching one pass and playing some special teams. But after the season, Jim Harbaugh released him from the team.

Cole wound up at East Mississippi Community College, moved to defensive back, and was featured on the second season of the wildly popular Netflix show Last Chance U. That season in junior college "molded me," Cole told Vikings.com. "That's what humbled me; that's what got me to love the game of football again and brought the drive back."

Having played well enough to draw attention from Division I schools, Cole signed with Mississippi State. But not all of his credits transferred, making him academically ineligible. Cole took a redshirt year in 2017, and was able to get back on the field at a major-conference program the following year. He played in five games as a hybrid linebacker/safety/nickel corner, recording three tackles for loss, a sack, and an interception. And then he faced another roadblock in the form of a pectoral injury that prematurely ended his season.

As a senior, Cole finally put together his breakout year. He played in all 12 games and stuffed the stat sheet, making plays as a pass-rusher, run defender, and in coverage. The athleticism that once made him an elite WR recruit had turned into a highly productive season on defense. A college career that began with hopes of making it to the NFL ended with those hopes intact – it just took an unexpected route to get there.

Following the season, Cole received invitations to the two most important events in the pre-draft process. He attended the Senior Bowl in January and had a highlight-reel return on a fumble recovery. Cole then attended the NFL combine, where he ran a 4.52 in the 40-yard dash.

Brian Cole II (@HailStateFB) scoops up the fumble and shows off some moves!

📺: @seniorbowl on NFL Network pic.twitter.com/uvOVXPoFs5

— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) January 25, 2020

With only one full season of tape and some questions about where he'll play at the NFL level, Cole fell to the end of the seventh round. Despite where he was selected, the former wide receiver brings a lot of upside to the Vikings. He's an outstanding athlete who can blitz off of the edge, he's a strong tackler, and he has the range and ball skills to make plays in coverage. Cole is also extremely competitive and motivated, having come all the way from the bottom to make it to this point.

If Mike Zimmer can coach him up, there's a lot to like about what Cole could bring to the table for the Vikings. If he makes the team in 2020, his on-field contributions will be limited to special teams. But down the line, it's not too hard to envision him becoming an athletic chess piece for Zimmer's defense as a hybrid player at safety or nickelback, perhaps in a similar role to the one Jayron Kearse occupied for the past couple years.

Check out all of our Vikings 2020 season preview content right here.

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