Cole Sullivan is the player he has always been: a sponge of the game of football.
Sullivan has quickly picked up OU head coach Brent Venables’ challenging defensive schemes just one game into the season after transferring from Michigan. He tallied 48 tackles in two years at Michigan after grinding his way to a four-star recruit ranking out of Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh. He’s now preparing to use his disciplined mindset to propel the Sooners over the Wolverines on Saturday.
Sullivan played “cheetah,” a hybrid defensive position, and middle linebacker in OU’s first game this season and impressed Venables with his early versatility and promise.
“(He) was very productive and played multiple positions, …” Venables said Tuesday. “The more he plays, the better he gets; he’s still a young guy. He’s going to be a pivotal piece to what we’re doing in our success here, certainly this week and coming up, but really, throughout the year.”
Sullivan credits his ability to be a versatile asset in Venables’ system to the respect he has for the head coach after he led Clemson defenses from 2012-21, contributing to the Tigers being tied for No. 1 in the nation in sacks in 2020.
“In high school and even middle school, just watching coach Venables coach those great teams and defenses and those great players, it's really cool to be a part of that,” Sullivan said on Aug. 4. “And part of what coach Venables does is he puts players in position to succeed, and he showcases their strengths. So I've been able to do a lot of that and been put in a lot of different positions.”
Fifth year linebacker Kip Lewis, a returner to the OU defense, has also been impressed by Sullivan playing multiple positions and seamlessly fitting into Venables’ system.
"You could throw a kitchen sink at him; I guess he would catch it," Lewis said on Aug. 11. "He's been picking it up pretty easily. He doesn't have too much that he messes up on twice, only one mistake. ... He's been responding very, very well."
Ryan Lehmeier, head coach of Central Catholic during Sullivan’s senior year, said that the linebacker has been a quick study since his high school days because of his relentless dedication. Sullivan played a crucial role in Central Catholic winning 10 games in 2023 and preventing opponents from scoring more than a touchdown in seven outings.
“He plays the sport the way it's meant to be played; he plays extremely hard, …” Lehmeier said. “He was just that special, but I just think it's his work ethic, it's his habits and that dude — he doesn't do what he's doing on accident. He's a really disciplined, focused person.”
Lehmeier noticed in just a couple days with Sullivan that he was “one of the best linebackers in the country.” The Central Catholic head coach credits Sullivan for the team’s success and its dominant defense.
“He was probably the reason we did have success,” Lehmeier said. “He made plays from sideline to sideline. … If they’re running the pass game, he was able to get after the quarterback. He just did a lot of things. Everything that he did, he did really well. He really elevated the play of all his teammates, and I think that's what really good players and leaders do.”
Lehmeier specifically remembers a regular season matchup with North Allegheny where Sullivan shined. He led them to a 50-22 win in a rivalry game.
“We played our rival in the regular season, and it wasn't even close,” Lehmeier said. “He was the best player on the field. He … damn near won the thing himself.”
More than how Sullivan plays on the field, Lehmeier appreciates the linebacker’s character and hopes his sons grow up to be like him.
“His play and his work ethic and his academics, how he carries himself, how he treats other people, I'm raising a couple boys myself, and I think that, if they walked around like him, I'd be really, really pleased,” Lehmeier said. “He's just an unbelievable young person, and I think he just sets the example kind of anywhere he goes.”
Heading to Ann Arbor Saturday, Sullivan is excited to reunite with his friends still playing for the Wolverines.
“I’m just excited,” Sullivan said on Monday. “It’s going to be fun to play against some of my former teammates, some of my good friends over the past couple years. So I’m really looking forward to that.”
On the field, though, it’s all business.
“We’re buddies off the field, but we all know once we’re in between the lines, we’re not friends in that moment,” Sullivan said. “We’re just going to play the game how we normally do. … We say it’s always just a nameless, faceless opponent.”
From Sullivan’s adaptability to his focus, Lehmeier’s former player has translated the traits he showed in high school to the SEC stage.
“To this day, I don't know that we've had somebody that embraced everything that our school and program’s about more than him, …” Lehmeier said. “It's not a surprise that he's having the success that he's having.”
This story was edited by Charlie DiVincenzo. Tori Pham and Larkin Bock copy edited this story.
