Cole Sullivan Drawing Buzz as Michigan’s Breakout Defender

Cole Sullivan arrived at Michigan in the spring of 2024 as a raw but eager freshman linebacker out of Pittsburgh. A year later, he’s no longer the early enrollee trying to learn the ropes of college football—he’s one of the players drawing the most buzz as Michigan kicks off its fall camp.

Cole Sullivan’s Transformation

Defensive coordinator Wink Martindale didn’t hold back when asked who caught his eye early during a media appearance on Saturday.

“The biggest jump you see is when you go on vacation. I took my vacation. When you come back and see them, a guy like Cole Sullivan has completely changed his body just walking around,” Martindale said during a media session Saturday. “You can see him going through drills and doing all those things.”

After burning his redshirt by appearing in 12 games last fall, mostly on special teams, Sullivan enters his sophomore season poised to make a much larger impact. He was named Michigan’s Rookie of the Year on Special Teams and made his mark with key tackles against Texas, Minnesota, and Northwestern. But his future is an impact player on defense—potentially in multiple spots.

Officially listed at 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, Sullivan was recruited as an off-ball linebacker but has flashed versatility in practice. According to sources and camp observers, he’s shown burst and bend as a pass rusher and has taken snaps on the edge. His ability to line up inside or outside mirrors that of starting linebacker Jaishawn Barham, giving Martindale the ability to disguise blitz packages and sub in interchangeable pieces.

While Ernest Hausmann remains the vocal leader in the linebacker room, Sullivan is quickly becoming the group’s most intriguing talent. The coaching staff believes he could take on a much bigger role than many expect—one that might include rushing the passer, playing in space, and rotating in multiple sub-packages.

If he continues on his current trajectory, Sullivan isn’t just Michigan’s top breakout candidate on defense—he might be one of the most versatile defenders in the Big Ten by season’s end.