The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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2024 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ 40 THE WOLVERINE ❱ MARCH 2024 BY EJ HOLLAND Cole Sullivan was considered a heavy Notre Dame lean early in the process. He has an Irish last name and attended a Catholic high school. He seemed des- tined to suit up for one of Michigan's true rivals. Instead, Sullivan will be donning the winged helmet this fall. The On300 linebacker from Pittsburgh Central Catholic spurned the Fighting Irish and gave Michigan a verbal commitment in May in a move that set the tone for what became an eventful summer for U-M recruiting. "The overall culture of the place," Sullivan said when asked why he picked Michigan. "Just the blue-collar work ethic I felt around the team. The coaches all made me feel like a priority. I had a couple of Pittsburgh connections with Coach [Kirk] Campbell. That made me feel more at home. Just seeing the upward trajectory of the team made me feel like I wanted to be a part of that." Once Sullivan committed to Michi- gan, the recruiting process was com- pletely over. Some pundits expected him to stay in contact with Notre Dame. But that was never the case. Michigan was always the right fit. Sullivan proved his loyalty to Michi- gan in the fall by traveling from Pitts- burgh to Ann Arbor almost every Sat- urday. The only home games he didn't attend were the nonconference con- tests due to Michigan's self-imposed ban on hosting recruits stemming from the NCAA's investigation into recruiting rules violations. "The people there have made Cole feel very welcomed," said his father, Roger. "It's evident to me that they want him there. They talk about the poten- tial of him playing multiple positions, depending on his body maturity. It's exciting. "Then, to be there on such a big week- end for the game against Ohio State. There were a ton of people, but they took the time to stop by and greet us. Not just the coaches, but the recruiting staff. I felt like they enjoyed seeing him again and showed that they knew him. "Not just because he's a name on a card or just a commit, but they've got- ten to know him because he's been there so much. It was comforting, and it felt like a family. I can tell that Cole feels right at home. That's the feeling and vibe I got. It's a good feeling." Family is a big reason why the Sul- livans bought into Michigan. They just didn't get that same feeling at Notre Dame. As Sullivan's mother, Christy, put it, Michigan is a unique place with a cul- ture that is truly one of a kind. "One thing that I enjoy seeing is the camaraderie of the players on the side- line," Christy said. "One game that we went to, J.J. McCarthy came off the field after a play where he knew maybe he hadn't played his best. "I told Cole, 'Look, J.J. went down the entire row and told everyone who came off the field, that's my bad. That's on me.' He took ownership. They're looking out for each other, and you can see that in the way they're talking to each other off the field. I think that's really cool. "I love hearing from the parents of players, too. When we were there, we got to hear from Semaj Morgan's par- ents, and we also got to hear from Mc- Carthy's parents. To hear from those parents and their experiences was im- pactful." Sullivan committed to Michigan as a three-star recruit but absolutely blew up in the rankings as a senior. At 6-foot- 3, 200 pounds, Sullivan is a versatile prospect on the defensive side of the ball with experience playing multiple positions. He was also a star for Central Catholic at wide receiver. As a senior, Sullivan recorded 105 Four-Star Pittsburgh Linebacker Cole Sullivan Is Ready To Showcase His Toughness Sullivan is On3's third-highest rated (No. 112) Michigan signee on the defensive side of the ball. He's a two-time Pennsylvania Football News Class 6A All-State selection from Pittsburgh Central Catholic. PHOTO BY ZACH LIBBY