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There are numerous examples of legacy Hawkeyes ending up on the Iowa football roster. There aren’t, however, many stories of Iowa State legacies ending up in Iowa City.
That’s the case, rare as it may be, for Justice Sullivan, son of former Iowa State basketball star Jake Sullivan. The younger Sullivan is a native of Ghana, but was adopted at 8 years old and came to live in Eden Prairie, Minnesota where he first took up football.
That seems to be working out well for both Sullivan and the Iowa Hawkeyes. The former comes to Iowa as a 4-star prospect according to both Rivals and 247 Sports with offers from both the home state Minnesota and Nebraska in addition to Iowa.
Today, he’s officially a Hawkeye.
Get Juiced! Here Comes Justice.@justicesulliv11 #Swarm21 x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/aur23qXQ4K
— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) December 16, 2020
As a prep, Sullivan played largely with his hand on the ground as an edge rusher for Eden Prairie. In that role, he shows great burst and athleticism with a nose for the ball. He’s a hard hitter who finishes tackles and runs down ball carriers in pursuit.
Iowa, however, is still uncertain as to where Sullivan will land. At 6’2” and 225 pounds as a senior, Sullivan’s build is in line with linebackers past for the Hawkeyes and he could project as an inside linebacker. However, if he continues to grow and fill out, Sullivan’s ability to shed blockers and get into the backfield could easily translate to a defensive end role for Iowa.
Sullivan comes to Iowa as the only commitment in the class of 2021 from the state of Minnesota. He is one of four potential linebacker commits expected to sign during the early period, joining Iowa natives Jaden Harrell, Zach Twedt and Karson Sharar. Should he end up on the defensive line, he would be one of five defensive linemen in the class joining Illinois native Jeremiah Pittman and Iowa natives Max Llewellyn, Jeff Bowie and Griffin Liddle.
Welcome aboard, officially, Justice Sullivan!