2024 Season Countdown: #85 Cole Sullivan
Name: Cole Sullivan
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 215 lbs.
High school: Pittsburgh (PA) Central Catholic
Position: Linebacker
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #18
Last year: Sullivan was a senior in high school (LINK). He made 105 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, and 3 blocked punts; he also caught 36 passes for 450 yards and 9 touchdowns.
TTB Rating: 87
Linebacker might not be the sexiest position, but Sullivan might be the most tantalizing prospect in the class of 2024. Lots of comparisons have been made between Sullivan and former Michigan linebacker/tight end/defensive end Chase Winovich, who made 44.5 tackles for loss and 18 sacks during his time in Ann Arbor before becoming a 3rd round pick of the New England Patriots. Winovich started as a linebacker, bounced to tight end, and then finally settled in at defensive end, where his non-stop motor helped him terrorize opposing quarterbacks. Sullivan is the same height (6’3″) but a little bit lighter.
That’s not to say that Sullivan will be a defensive end, though I think he could be an outside linebacker in Michigan’s defensive system. I think Sullivan is a little better of an athlete than Winovich. Whether he has the same tenacity remains to be seen. Regardless, 215 pounds is pretty light for most positions on defense. He’s probably a year away from seeing the field much because of that lack of bulk, but Michigan could potentially use his athleticism on special teams. If preserving eligibility isn’t a concern, I would love to use someone like Sullivan on kickoff or punt coverage units. Much like Jimmy Rolder last year, I would expect to see Sullivan play in up to four games while still keeping his redshirt.
Prediction: Redshirt
