Georgia pass rusher Cole Mullins looking to bounce back from injury early in Notre Dame career

Cole Mullins was primed for a big senior season. However, the 6-foot-4, 240-pounder suffered a low fibula fracture that also created an issue in his ankle during the final scrimmage leading up to Hoschton (Ga.) Mill Creek’s 2023 season opener.

Mullins was forced to sit out the campaign with an estimated recovery time of 4-6 months.

“I was really disappointed,” Mullins said. “I worked all offseason on my pass rush and defensive end stuff because I knew I’d play that at Notre Dame. The fact that I couldn’t show that to anyone and couldn’t play my senior season was disappointing.”

He finished as a three-star across the board, but after giving his commitment to the Irish last April, the feeling was that he was a big stock-up prospect for his final year of prep football. He played mostly middle linebacker as a junior but was moving to defensive end in 2023.

During a conversation with Blue & Gold Illustrated in early January, Mullins noted that he was about 75 percent recovered from his rehab. An early enrollee at the university, he anticipates being fully recovered and able to participate in spring football.

“I’m positive I’ll be 100 percent for then,” he stated.

Mullins felt supported by Notre Dame’s staff after they received the news of his injury.

“It was relieving,” he said. “They understood and weren’t worried about it.”

Mullins only visited Notre Dame’s campus twice. His first South Bend visit occurred April 19, 2023, and that trip was all he needed to see prior to making his commitment. He announced his pledge three days later.

Mullins returned to Notre Dame the weekend of June 9, 2023, for his official visit. He was unable to visit for a game in the fall.

Despite going half a year without making it back to campus, Mullins continued building a strong relationship with the staff.

“It was really good,” said Mullins. “They kept in touch and called me a couple times per week. I knew they were really busy, but they’d still call me after every game.”

It’s to be determined exactly which position Mullins will play for the Fighting Irish.

“They’ll see what I turn into,” he explained. “It could be strong side or vyper; I’ll play wherever they put me.

“I’m excited and ready for something new. I am fired up to get to work.”

The Cole Mullins bio

Statistics

• Missed his senior season due to injury.

• Notched 58 stops, 8 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, 6 quarterback hurries and 2 passes broken up in 15 games as a junior.

• Helped lead Mill Creek to a Georgia 7A state championship victory in 2022, notching 10 tackles (2 for loss), 2 quarterback hurries and 1 pass broken up in the state title game.

Notable

• Earned a spot on the Georgia Athletics Coaches Association’s 7A Regions 5-8 first-team defense in 2022.

• Also played three seasons of baseball at Mill Creek.

• Father, Pat, played football at Utah State, and his mother, Suzette, ran track for the Aggies.

Recruitment

• Committed to the Fighting Irish on April 22, 2023.

• Enrolled at Notre Dame in January.

• Picked the Irish over offers from Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami, USC and others.

• Recruited by defensive line coach Al Washington.

• Visited Notre Dame twice, including his official visit on June 9, 2023.

2024 Projection

• Is likely to redshirt as a true freshman.

Blue & Gold recruiting writer Kyle Kelly: “There might not be an Irish signee who needed their senior season more than Cole Mullins. He needed it to demonstrate that he was much better than his current ranking indicates. As a junior, Mullins played mostly middle linebacker against the best competition the state of Georgia has to offer. The Irish scouted Mullins as a vyper (weak-side defensive end) candidate. He planned to play a similar position on his high school team more full-time in 2023.

“Unfortunately, a preseason lower leg injury knocked him out for the season. Mullins showed as a junior that he was a physical player who utilized his aggressiveness to shed blocks and make hard-hitting tackles — often in the backfield. Mill Creek High also relied on him to be a blocker on offense. They reaped the benefits of his nasty edge, which sprung open big plays.”