TAMPA, Fla. – There is a tendency to roll the eyes when it comes to college football players who are in their seventh season, of which there are a handful. Each has a different story, though. One of them transferred to USF in January, and he is easy to pull for.
Caleb Cook spent six seasons at Georgia Southern. The offensive lineman did not necessarily plan it that way. He did not play in 2020, his first year as a collegian and one that resulted in an additional year of eligibility granted by the NCAA due to the pandemic. He played in only two games in 2021, which enabled him to redshirt and still have four seasons (2022-2025) of eligibility.
After playing in each of the Eagles’ 13 games in 2022, Cook broke his right leg in the second game of 2023. Four seasons into his career, he had played in only 17 games. He received a medical waiver granting him an additional season (2026) of eligibility.
Through it all, Cook made sure to make the best of it academically at Georgia Southern. Indeed, he has a bachelor’s in communication studies and a bachelor’s in multimedia journalism, the latter he completed in December before transferring to USF.
“I was like, ‘If I’m going to be in college a little bit longer, why not try to get a second degree,’” said Cook, who made the dean’s list no less than five times at GSU. “I spoke with my academic advisors and I wanted to find out what (area of study) would make the most sense to get another degree, what I want to do in my future.”
The opportunity to work for and earn two degrees while eventually making his mark on the football field – Cook played in each of the Eagles’ 26 games the last two seasons, starting 25 — is something the 23-year-old does not take for granted.
“I feel like when it comes to athletes, especially those of us with scholarships, a lot of us may take for granted how much of a blessing it is to be able to get a college education and not have to pay for it,” he said. “I was blessed enough to get two degrees without paying a single dollar. That’s truly a blessing.”
Isn’t that refreshing? Cook, who is 6-foot-3 and checks in at 315 pounds, at least before practice – he loses 8-10 pounds each practice — might be a refreshing face and voice on social media at some point soon. When asked if there was one communication/journalism career opportunity he would like to have at this point in his life, he said he desires to be a Stephen A. Smith-type of personality.
“I want to be a sports analyst and I want to make my way all the way up to the biggest platforms,” said the huge WWE fan, who is a wonderful source to tap into for information on past and present wrestlers. “I could have my own show so that I could talk and say whatever I want. That’s my primary goal.”
Scent in the air
While strolling Bourbon Street with teammates prior to Georgia Southern’s New Orleans Bowl matchup with Sam Houston State to close out the 2024 season, Cook came across a shop that might as well have had “Heaven” on its marquee.
“There was this fragrance shop at one of the corners on Bourbon Street with a lot of stuff,” he said. “I’m seeing (all these colognes) and I’m smelling everything. I was like a kid walking into a candy store.”
Before long, Cook took to TikTok to produce fragrance-related content. He noted that his collection consists of roughly 50 bottles and the itch to collect began well before the New Orleans Bowl excursion and started with a bottle of Rasasi Blue.
“I was in high school and I went into a Belk’s and they had like a discovery pack,” he said of the department store. “I bought it and, well, I didn’t buy it. My mom bought it, but I did not truly get into collecting until 2024 when we went to New Orleans.”
Cook, who trades fragrance-related notes with an interested teammate, fifth-year Bull and defensive end Mike Williams, knows what to splash on as the seasons change. Just be careful during the summer heat and humidity.
“I am a ‘freshy’ type guy, like blue scent and citrus,” he noted. “A lot of what I have can be worn in the heat. I also have a lot of cold weather fragrances that if I wore in the heat, somebody’s getting choked out with all of the fumes. It’s probably going to be me! So, I am not doing that.”
Why USF?
The answer is simple. Sure, it was tough leaving Georgia Southern after six years with one-plus season under Chad Lunsford followed by four under Clay Helton. What USF had to offer appealed to Cook.
“Coming from Ohio State, everyone knows his resume and putting players in the league,” he said of coach Brian Hartline, a former Ohio State and NFL receiver who was hired in December and helped prepare a number of players for the professional ranks while he was the Buckeyes’ offensive coordinator. “Not only putting players in the league, but some of the best players in the league. That’s where I want to go. That’s how I want to be.”
Cook, who earned 2025 All-Sun Belt Conference first team honors and is on the Outland Trophy (nation’s best offensive lineman) preseason watch list, liked everything he heard from Hartline and the coaching staff when visiting USF.
“Everything just clicked,” he said. “Everything seemed right. The coaching staff was put together meticulously for one reason, and that’s to win.”
It did not take long for offensive coordinator, Tim Beck, to know he had a winner in Cook.
“He came here and fit right in,” he said. “I love being around him every day. He’s smiling and his loves the game of football. He’s appreciative of the game and the opportunities that he has been presented. He’s been a bright spot for us, for sure.”
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