Cole Sullivan
Oklahoma#134 overallScouting Report
Cole Sullivan is a redshirt sophomore linebacker who transferred from Michigan to Oklahoma in search of the full-time role the Wolverines never had open for him. A Pittsburgh native and former four-star recruit out of Central Catholic, he checks in at 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, size that lets him play on the second level without being moved. Bucs Wire's summer scouting series flagged him as one of the more under-the-radar transfer linebackers in the country heading into 2026, and the reason is the production relative to playing time. Sullivan logged only 331 defensive snaps in 2025 and started three games, yet finished with 44 tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks, three interceptions, four pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. That is ball production a lot of full-time starters do not reach, and it came mostly in a rotational role. The coaching staff noticed, naming him Michigan co-Most Improved Defensive Player in 2025 after he had already won Rookie of the Year on special teams in 2024. The tape is more measured than the box score: he was steady against the run and as a tackler in 2025 but struggled in coverage and generated little pressure as a pass rusher. That gap between counting stats and grades is the whole evaluation right now. He is a projection, not a finished product, and the Oklahoma move is the test. If the snap count triples and the impact plays keep coming, he becomes a riser in the 2027 or 2028 conversation.
NFL Comparison
Draft Movement
Down 15 spots since Aug 17
Strengths
- Legitimate second-level size at 6-3, 230 with a frame that holds up
- Rare ball production for a rotational player, three interceptions and four pass breakups in 23 career games
- Creates takeaways beyond the picks, adding a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries
- 44 tackles and five tackles for loss in 2025 on only 331 defensive snaps
- Steady in run defense and tackling in 2025, his two cleanest areas
- Two sacks and five pressures show he is a usable blitz piece
- Core special teams background, named Michigan's special teams Rookie of the Year in 2024
- Coaching staff voted him co-Most Improved Defensive Player, year-over-year growth they saw in practice
Weaknesses
- Only three career starts, so the whole file is a small sample
- Coverage is the weak link, despite the interceptions
- Overall play trails what the counting stats suggest
- Never beat out Michigan's linebackers for a full-time job across two seasons
- Has not proven he can hold up to a starter's snap count over a full season
- Evaluation is projection-based, built on flashes rather than sustained tape
- Needs the expanded Oklahoma role to confirm the production was not a function of fresh legs in rotation
College Stats
2025 (Michigan): 44 tackles, 5.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 3 INT, 4 PBU, 1 FF, 331 snaps; 2024: 14 snaps; Career: 23 games, 3 starts, 48 tackles
College Market Value
Our model prices him at $450K on the open college market, built from production, pedigree, role and Oklahoma's program money. No credible deal has been reported for him this season.
Portal: transferred from Michigan to Oklahoma for 2026.
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Measurables
Awards & Honors
Michigan co-Most Improved Defensive Player (2025); Michigan Special Teams Rookie of the Year (2024); Academic All-Big Ten; former four-star recruit; No. 384 on the Fanspeak Consensus 2027 board