How Owen Heinecke’s return to OU football affects Michigan transfer LB Cole Sullivan

TAMPA, FL — Brent Venables knows it’s going to take everyone on the 2026 roster to get back to the College Football Playoff.

When the OU football team lost players on defense like Kendal Daniels, Kobie McKinzie and Sammy Omosigho this past offseason, Venables worried at times about how he’d replace those players.

Enter Cole Sullivan, who Venables convinced to transfer to OU instead of staying at Michigan after a visit at his home in Pittsburgh.

Sullivan was originally thought to slide in as a starter at either middle or weakside linebacker until Owen Heinecke was granted a preliminary injunction and another year of eligibility.

So, where does Sullivan fit in with Heinecke back in the mix? Perhaps Venables’ hybrid “cheetah” position? Coming off the bench as a backup?

<

“We’ve been training him up to play multiple spots, and I love where he’s at,” Venables said of Sullivan. “He’s earned great respect from guys in the locker room. He’s become a leader, which is not an easy thing to do as a new player.

“He’s done it through spending a lot of time investing in the film room and with the players — Owen and (weakside linebacker Kip Lewis) are as good an influence on helping Cole become a really good player for us.”

Sullivan, at 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, tallied 44 tackles last season. He also added five tackles for loss, three interceptions, two sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

With inexperience behind Heinecke and Lewis and the injury to Taylor Heim, Sullivan will play a major role throughout the season wherever he’s slotted.

“The depth of this conference, the margins, the involvement with linebackers and the kicking game,” Venables said. “We still have some issues there when it comes to depth — some questions. We’ll see how it all works out.”

<1 / 22

<2 / 22

<3 / 22

<4 / 22

<5 / 22

<6 / 22

<7 / 22

<8 / 22

<9 / 22

<10 / 22

<11 / 22

<12 / 22

<13 / 22

<14 / 22

<15 / 22

<16 / 22

<17 / 22

<18 / 22

<19 / 22

<20 / 22

<21 / 22

<22 / 22

Colton Sulley covers the Oklahoma Sooners for The Oklahoman. Order “BOOM TIMES: The Oklahoma Sooners‘ Epic Charge to the 2026 College World Series Title” at Sooners.ChampsBook.com. Have a story idea for Colton? He can be reached at csulley@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @colton_sulley. Support Colton’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.