Bullard on Parade | by Pat

Tennessee certainly has been kind to the Fighting Irish lately for recruits and the streak continued yesterday when OL Alex Bullard chose ND over the home state Volunteers.

"It's a good fit for me," Bullard said. "I liked the smaller campus, smaller classrooms and just how prestigious a school they are. Especially with Tennessee, it was a tough decision. I felt like me and Coach (Phillip) Fulmer had a relationship. But at the end of the day, Notre Dame was the best place for me."

Bullard's offer list was a long one with the Irish topping Michigan, Oklahoma, Florida, Alabama, Texas A&M, Stanford, South Carolina, and a host of other programs. A 4-star prospect on both Rivals and Scout, Bullard is listed as the 213th overall recruit in the class of 2009 and the 11th overall OG on Rivals. Back on Scout he's listed as the #25 OT. ESPN's ranking of Bullard is a 77.

At 6'3" 275 pounds, Bullard is extremely quick on his feet. That's probably one of the reasons he's lumped in with the tackles on Scout and the guards on Rivals. He has the athletic ability to man a tackle spot, but his height is more in line with what you'd find in a guard prospect. Either way, Bullard's highlight video is a fun one to watch as he tosses kids aside left and right all the way down the field. His level of competition doesn't look that challenging, but some of Bullard's defensive linemen teammates are being recruited as well, so at least he faces stronger competition in practice. He's also a wrestler and son of former Seattle Seahawks OL Louis Bullard, which gives him pretty solid football bloodlines.

The Irish need offensive tackles in this recruiting class, but landing a talented guard like Bullard early is great news. Another guard and a pair of tackles would go a long way to help the Irish continue to form the building blocks of a new line as the Sam Young class enter their final few years on campus.