2024 Recruiting: Cole Sullivan (2024)

Previously: 2023's profiles. K Dominic Zvada (Tr), S Jacob Oden, S Wesley Walker (Tr), S Jaden Mangham(Tr), CB Aamir Hall (Tr), CB Ricky Johnson (Tr), CB Jeremiah Lowe, CB Jo'Ziah Edmond, LB Jaishawn Barham (Tr), LB Jeremiah Beasley

Among the more rapid recruitments last cycle was Michigan's quick close with a prospect everyone thought was headed to Notre Dame—Irish kid at a Catholic School and all. Via Lorenz on our signing pod, we have Harbaugh to thank for getting Michigan out in front, getting Sullivan on campus, and getting him to buy into the development and schematic fit. Taking that admission that with this admission from last October…

There are some within Schembechler who believe Sullivan is one of the top commitments in Michigan's class at this point.

…and I think it's fair to assume Jim Harbaugh for one thought they'd pulled off the coup of the century. Lorenz disclaimed his site's low ranking, and had Sullivan tied for his favorite player in the class "regardless of what position he ends up at."

Sullivan is hugely underrated as an 87 three-star. He almost always takes the right first step off of the snap and he's excellent at the point of attack. The latter point is what stood out in a huge way to the Michigan staff when recruiting him. He's also a solid tight end at the high school level to boot. It's very hard to imagine him not outdoing his ranking by the time he leaves Ann Arbor.

Over at On3's two-hour signing day live show, EJ Holland noticed the 87 as well.

From the tape I mean he pops out immediately. … I'm higher on him than every single recruiting service, that's how excited I am about Sullivan. 24/7 and ESPN having him as a three star is terrible. I think this is a kid that's going to be a superstar at Michigan on the defensive side of the ball. He's a great fit, he can also play multiple spots. I mean he could easily have an early impact.

This was EJ's pick for Michigan's best defensive signee (Lugard Edokpayi wasn't in yet), and like Hewlett, a popular choice for class sleeper. Or at least he would have been if On3's director wasn't claiming Sullivan as a "personal favorite."

I just love the player and watching his film was a joy. He has outstanding instincts. Just a pure football player, a guy who made plays in all three phases at the high school level. Also a basketball player and just a guy who’s just kind of a natural and sees the game really quickly and runs well. Kind of everything you want as a linebacker. Just needs to continue getting bigger.

This was all before a spring game performance that stood out on the rewatch.

LB#18 on the hash mark

[After THE JUMP: athlete, ATH-lete, ATHLETE]

There are athletes, there are ATH-letes, and then there are ATHLETES. Cole Sullivan is all three. He is an athlete who plays multiple sports. He is an ATH who played several positions on offense and defense, plus longsnapper, and could end up at LB or DE. And he's an ATHLETE, as in if you play word association with any coach, scout, or beatwriter who's seen Sullivan, they'll tell you people his height shouldn't be able to move like he does.

Two years ago Brian Dohn was seeing a QB/LB "adept at changing direction" with burst. By the end of last year Brice Marich described a "versatile piece to this defense that can play several positions and excel at all of them," and reported a game where Sullivan played five positions over 60 snaps, racking up 16 tackles and a blocked punt. Notre Dame fell behind too early to get us writeups from the two ND scouts I like, but Kevin Sinclair thought Sullivan was "fit for the rover position," which is their hybrid. Sam Webb saw him at WLB playing next to early 4-star MLB prospect Anthony Speca, and correctly predicted Sullivan would end up the more coveted prospect.

Cole Sullivan's a better player. He's longer he's faster he's more athletic, and that's no that's no slight at all to Anthony Speca … but Michigan got the guy. … He's an underrated kid.

Steve Wiltfong described "a rangy, versatile back seven prospect that could line up in a lot of places on the next level." Zach Libby thought he "moves like he's under 180 pounds." Josh Henschke said Sullivan "creates havoc" for quarterbacks with his speed, athleticism, and good hands. Austin Meek thought Sullivan "looks like he’s playing at a different speed than everyone else on the field." Shaw checked in again late in the cycle and thought Sullivan had grown even faster and more athletic.

Power…well Power likey.

a fantastic football player. He’s a baller. He always finds ways to affect the game. He can run sideline-to-sideline. He made some impressive plays when I going through his film. I thought he had some really impressive plays because of his instincts, range, effort level and ability to see things quickly.

Touch the Banner doesn't often go for the developmental guys, but was into the "quick-twitch change of direction ability" for a tall player:

He plays with nice knee bend and a low center of gravity on both sides of the ball. He has good makeup speed coming off the edge and chasing down players in the backfield. I like the angles he takes to ball carriers, aiming for the outside shoulder to keep contain.

He scored Sullivan a "79", which is Magnus for a guy who can grow into a difference-maker (80s) but isn't there yet.

We're in for a project. Alex likened Sullivan to Jason Hewlett from last year's class—tall thin basketballin' ATHs from the Allegheny Plateau that Michigan wants to turn into middle linebackers—but predicted Sullivan, still a 3-star at the time, would pass Hewlett in the rankings. This was so:

Sullivan ended up inside the top-300 of both composites, while Hewlett was in the low- to mid-500s. But look at the disagreement! The split between 247 and On3 is the largest in my database since On3's launch in 2022.* That's not just Power; On3 trusts their reporters to add to their rankings, like when Clayton Safie went to Pittsburgh and came back gushing.

Sullivan had one of the best live evaluations that I've done in some time regardless of position he actually started at WILL for Central Catholic and was all over the field. I mean it was like watching a missile being fired off whenever Sullivan flies around. … about as vicious vicious of a hitter as you could find at the high school level …

But even those putting him near their top-100 admit that's a project. Power:

The biggest questions with him are how big will he get and what’s his developmental upside physically as a linebacker? I don’t have a ton of concerns with that though because of Michigan’s track record with player development, especially with their strength and conditioning program.

The sites all had him at 200 pounds, his Central Catholic listed weight, with a few who saw him in 2023 updating that to 208. Michigan sources were then saying 215 in spring.

* [If you're curious: On3 loved them some Jimmy Rolder (+0.96 stars), Kenneth Grant (+0.82), Evan Link (+0.75), Nate Efobi (+0.66), Ernest Hausmann (+0.57), and Alex Orji (+0.50). 247 in turn were much bigger fans of Will Johnson (-0.63), Luke Hamilton (-0.58), Channing Goodwin (-0.51), Breeon Ishmail (-0.37) and Mason Graham (+0.36). I can't see a pattern in there.]

So he's probably an edge when we're done. That was our takeaway after seeing him in spring. Lorenz hinted he would like to see Sullivan end up a pass-rusher eventually. Sam Webb said he has the frame to be a Chase Winovich-style edge. Sullivan's trainers (DeWayne Brown and Biggs Bigelow of 2Tenths) concurred:

Cole can come off that edge and get off blocks. Looking at his film, man, he’s in the backfield in a split second. He’s what a school wants in an outside linebacker. Like a TJ Watt kind of guy. If there’s anyone from Pittsburgh who can come off that edge like Watt, it’s Cole. He’s that type of person who I wouldn’t be surprised if he (gets to the NFL).

…and the other on another Wolverine who came through there:

Cole is no different than Winovich. Cole can play. He’s legit. He can play in that same type of role at Michigan. When you look at Winovich’s film from college to the pros, he’s coming off that edge and getting to the quarterback.

Holland wouldn't be surprised if he's a pass rusher—"looks quick off the edge and knows how to get after the quarterback." Henschke thought his best plays in high school were the times he went out wide.

He often lines up in a stand up position along the outside shoulder of offensive tackles. From there he can use his speed and athleticism to create havoc on opposing QBs, while using good hand technique to shed blocks when he needs to.

Zach Libby thought a Uche role would be the best use of the athleticism.

His impressive length in the arms, his fluidity and bending at the waist also gives him a lot of leverage against bigger and less athletic offensive lineman in order to get in order to get behind the line of scrimmage to make a play.

While Magnus thought he could still do some 'backin without wasting the rusher.

I think Sullivan is at his best coming off the edge as an outside linebacker who occasionally drops into coverage (a la Jaylen Harrell), but his body will need time to develop.

But Michigan would like him to be a linebacker. Three portal defections this offseason and a surfeit of edge prospects would have made this necessary anyways, but even before all of that Sullivan told various reporters the plan was to start at LB and see.

most likely start me at MIKE but I can grow into an outside backer or WILL or heck maybe even a defensive end. He said they’re not going to limit me in one position and they like my versatility and they’re going to let my body and grow and develop into what I’m going to be.

Brian Jean-Mary talked about the early enrollee in the linebacker group this spring, and Michigan currently Sullivan lists as a LB, while similar prospect Mason Curtis is listed at edge. Lorenz confirmed Michigan wants him at MIKE first "because it's the toughest position to learn."

There are plenty of reasons—other than edge versatility—in Sullivan's game to try to make that happen. For one on all of his high school film he's an excellent tackler. Zach Shaw:

it’s almost automatic that he will make the play once he gets to you and has delivered some spine-chilling hits this season.

Zach Libby thought his instincts and football IQ (Sullivan's dad played for Kentucky back in the day) complemented the athleticism well.

He moves so well sideline to sideline, has great vision, and can scan the field while the play is going in order to make a play. His speed East and West is just as fast as when he moves North and South.

…and believed that growing up in linebacker country had left an impression.

Sullivan’s instincts when impacting a play as it comes in his direction derive from keeping his head on a swivel, taking proper angles of pursuit, quickly changing gears in stride and having elite athleticism. While showing kindness and gratitude off the field, he puts fear in opponents with his tackles. He has demonstrated to perfect the ability to hit beyond a target.

The spring game film showed what he might look like as a full-time linebacker. Indeed your brain doesn't register a guy with his proportions dropping into coverage—it looks a little like Braiden McGregor doing it—but he moves around just fine, and has a good feel for where to go to deter the route that usually combos off the one he just passed off.

#18 LB on the top

Steve Wiltfong described "an instinctive space eater that can thump" as well as "change direction, explode and then tackle." Holland liked Sullivan's "ability to sift through blockers, physicality when tackling and comfort playing in space." Henschke praised the "instincts to drop into coverage while being able to come downhill and tackle receivers." Shaw reported spring practice observers were "shaken away by Sullivan's physicality." Clayton Safie and Anthony Broome also had positive takes from the Spring Game.

Freshman linebacker Cole Sullivan, though, came relatively out of nowhere and made big plays. He was flying around and made multiple splash plays, including putting offensive lineman Amir Herring on his backside before making a tackle. On the next play, he made got his team a fourth-down stop.

I caught that.

Cole Sullivan is next. pic.twitter.com/YrNjp4EURr

— Seth M. Fisher (@Misopogon) June 7, 2024

This is also the one and only time I've seen Cole Sullivan miss a tackle, which means we can credit to Benjamin Hall. Though I think Broome got a bit too excited here:

Michigan’s questions about depth and future fixtures at the position could be solved by Sullivan, who has garnered a ton of praise since he arrived and practiced with the team at the Rose Bowl and National Championship games. … he was playing at a different speed than his peers out there. He had three tackles and a fourth down stop that served as his highlight play of the afternoon.

His play on Saturday somewhat reminded us of defensive tackle Mason Graham in the spring game back in 2022, not exactly in terms of predictive stardom, but in terms of a freshman looking far more advanced right out of the box.

The praise wasn't as high for Beasley, which likely had a role to play in his transfer, but showing out in your first spring is usually the best sign of a future star.

To the negative, Touch the Banner thought Sullivan "shows some indecision" at linebacker. I didn't see that at all. If anything he was surprisingly decisive for a true freshman at his spring game.

The Culture™. Again, all coaches love their D-I players, but here's Central Catholic coach Ryan Lehmeier ranking Sullivan's character:

11/10. He’s phenomenal with the way he is in the building amongst his peers and teachers. It carries over anywhere the kid goes. He’s a class act and represents our program the right way. Cole’s number one goal is to win. He’s a winner. He’s a team-oriented guy and one of the most selfless people we have in our program. … I don’t have enough words to put into what kind of person Cole is. It’s the work ethic, effort and anything he does that we ask of him. … getting a kid who’s driven and totally self-motivated. … wants to go to that school because competition is a premium there.

Etc. Pitt Central Catholic is a good school to get in with—easily the best program in Western PA. LB Colsen Gatten is a 2026 target, and CB Larry Moon is one of their top prospects for 2027.

Why Chase Winovich or Malik Harrison? Winovich because we're talking about another athletic high-motor Western Pennsylvania developmental edge with the kind of personality that attracts Jim Harbaugh. Winovich came in at linebacker, tried fullback, then grew his star as a relentless pass rusher with plenty of athleticism that needed to bulk up over his playing career.

As for Malik Harrison, all of the other LB comps are either incomplete versions from different eras and defenses (Jake Ryan/Prescott Burgess), didn't pan out (Cam Gordon, Isaiah Bell), or haven't yet played for Michigan (Jaishawn Barham/Jason Hewlett). Sullivan is the exact same kind of long athletic ATH ATHLETE project that Hewlett was last year, so let's just go back to his writeup:

Harrison was a 6'3/228 3-star ATH out of Columbus in 2016 who played basketball, QB and receiver in high school. In that era Ohio State was using hybrid safety types to either side of the MIKE, and Harrison was the "STAR" or WLB in that setup, working his way onto the field as a situational sophom*ore. Harrison's mistake-prone junior year contributed to the heavy criticism of OSU's linebacking—Tuf Borland's athletic limitations were really the problem—but Michigan lost several 2018 possessions to Harrison's speed and agility as a blitzer. By 2019 the guy was a playmaking menace who earned a "dangerman" star on our preview diagram. He measured 6'3/247 at the combine, went in the 3rd round, and was the Ravens' starter at WLB last year until they traded for Roquan Smith.

Barham, JMFR, or Burgess would work too.

Guru Reliability: Low. Despite playing for a Western PA powerhouse against decent competition, Sullivan is the kind of prospect that the sites hate. They're all over the place, with the two sites we tend to trust the most these days as far apart from each other as they've ever been. The positional uncertainty and how much weight he has to gain to get to playability are probably big factors in that.

Variance: Massive. He could be stuck as a stiffish safety-sized man or outgrow his neck and hit the combine at 265. Some men can gain 50 pounds in college without losing their agility, others cannot, and you don't know until they're done.

Ceiling: Very high. He could become a versatile linebacker that allows Michigan to keep running its Ravens games for another generation, or a Winovichian edge terror.

Flight Risk Level: Medium. To the bad: He's a developmental prospect who's going to have to grit through a couple of years of not playing. Also to the bad: Harbaugh helped seal this recruitment personally, and the others involved were Newsome, Minter, Partridge (though this was handled well), and Herbert; all but Grant are gone. So are Jeremiah Beasley and the Smith twins, the other guys in the class that Sullivan said he connected with. To the good: Sullivan had only academic schools, came in with a bunch of AP credits, enrolled early, and seems serious about getting that degree. This all points to a timeline of three years to crack the two-deep, at which point we're on our standard NFL countdown, or not, wherein you'd expect him to finish his degree with at least two years of eligibility and down-transfer. Also Mom likes Santa Ono.

General Excitement Level: High. Baseline 5: +1 for athlete, –1 for ATHlete, +1 for ATHLETE, +1 for a very good spring game, +1 for Winovich vibes (sans 9-11 trutherism). All of the Michigan sites seem to be standing with Power on this one, in that they trust Michigan can develop Sullivan into a Day 2 draft pick of some kind. I think he had a better spring game than we initially credited, and I think his spring performance helped chase off his early enrollee classmate. But the "Mason Graham" thing is nuts. They're talking about Sullivan like they were talking about TJ Guy when he arrived; Graham was on two different levels.

Projection: I'm considerably higher on Sullivan after this exercise, though a little worried he'll outgrow linebacker when Michigan really needs him not to. For now at least it's clear they're going to try to make him into a Barham-esque linebacker who can also pass rush.

This isn't as much about Sullivan but Michigan's needs. As we said repeatedly in Barham's writeup, Michigan really wants that ability to blitz or bring their ILBs down to the edge for a 5-1 look. The other factor is they're flush with young OLBs—two in the last class, two more in this one, not counting the same number of heavy edges—and down to just Hewlett and Sullivan for LBs with eligibility past 2026 after losing Hayden Moore (Washington), Semaj Bridgeman (MSU), and Jeremiah Beasley (Mizzou) to the portal.

How much of losing those guys was from playing next to Sullivan in spring? Probably less than meeting their fourth LB coach (Helow, Partridge, Rick Minter, Brian Jean-Mary) in two years.

Anyway if Sullivan sticks at linebacker—which he now pretty much has to unless we keep pulling Hausmanns and Barhams out of the portal every year—he can redshirt this year and start making his way onto special teams and the travel roster in 2025, when I think Barham will be gone, Hausmann could also be gone, and Jimmy Rolder and Jaydon Hood are in line to be your starting pair with junior and senior eligibility, respectively. Only Micah Pollard, Jason Hewlett, and walk-ons stand in the way of Sullivan being on the two-deep as a redshirt freshman. Ideally Hewlett and Sullivan can take it from there.

But that's a lot of development away.