UCF Commitment TJ Bullard Senior Film Review

A closer look at UCF linebacker commitment TJ Bullard.

Brian Smith | Nov 19, 2021

UCF Commitment TJ Bullard Senior Film Review /

One of the most athletic players in the UCF recruiting class of 2022 comes by way of the city of Tampa. The Knights wanted to add more players with the ability to run fast and play well in space, and that’s what this young man does quite well.

Additionally, versatility needed to be increased with UCF’s linebacker position with so many of the programs across college football using running backs in the slot, and also placing tight ends in the slot. Linebackers have to be able to cover both of those body types despite the stark differences and challenges they present.

TJ Bullard

Vitals: 6’0” 190 pounds

Position: Linebacker

High School: Tampa (Fla.) Berkeley Prep

Recruitment: Picked UCF over offers from programs like USF, Cincinnati, West Virginia and Louisville, plus he earned several Ivy League offers.

Adding Size?

Bullard is one of the more difficult players to project how quickly he will adapt to the college level because he still needs to add size to play linebacker. While common for a player of his weight to make a transition, Bullard is a narrow-wasted prospect and could take a year or two to get over 200 pounds and feel comfortable with it. Time will tell with that aspect, but he does possess the ability to eventually reach 210 to 220 pounds and still be a speedy linebacker.

Athleticism

This would be the category Bullard deserved the highest marks. He’s always been fast and explosive out of his stance, as well as a player that changed direction quite well. He even proved to be quite a hitter due to his strong hips and legs despite being only 185 pounds.

Overall, Bullard’s ability to play in space and within tight quarters had much to do with his ability to make athletic plays. No reason to believe that will change in college.

Unique Skill

Before diving into overall attributes, it needs to be noted that Bullard provided several plays this season where he played coverage like a veteran. He’s established the ability to read a quarterback well before he ever made the throw.

That led to interceptions and even a pick-six.

Whether it’s instinct, film study, or something else altogether, Bullard’s ability to make those plays should be commended. It will also project him onto the field in the Bounce House faster, too. Now onto attributes.

Best Attributes

Closing speed stood out time and time again. Bullard played inside out to make plays where he did not possess the angle to the sideline, yet still pulled down the ball carrier during multiple plays.

He also timed his blitzes quite well, as well as simply timing when he would change direction and/or explode towards where he believed the football would go.

How instinctive he looked when a guard would begin to pull, that’s something that stood out while watching film. Bullard beat offensive linemen to the edge and made tackles several times this season.

College Position

The answer here depends on the situation, the game, and even the year. As noted above, Bullard’s athleticism combined with his strength allowed him to make some really good plays. Depending on how big he becomes over the next year or two, he could be the hybrid linebacker or weak side linebacker for the Knights.

Further, college defenses turned into a scenario all about specialty packages. Nickel, dime and even packages where there are three safeties within a dime package or just the traditional two safeties. It’s never ending.

One can be assured that Bullard will be utilized in substitution patterns where he plays in passing situations. That’s his initial niche, and his roles and positions will be developed over time.

Refinement

For over 90% of recruits this category takes little time because the future college position was already determined. That’s not the case with Bullard. Despite that fact, two areas need to be developed further.

Hand placement when attempting to get off blocks needs to be used more often. Bullard runs around most blocks now because he’s so much faster and more athletic than most offensive players attempting to block him. Second, footwork drills need to be continued.

A few of the plays he made in high school would not have worked in college. Again, his speed allowed for a lot of things to happen that simply will not work out in college. By being in the proper position with his feet to physically attack blockers, Bullard will improve his ability to play early for UCF. He simply has not needed to do that nearly as often in high school as he will need to do it in college.

Bullard must be able to consistently take on a much larger player, knock his hands down, and then move past him. That’s just a part of learning to be a college linebacker, and it’s a really picky point to bring up, but Bullard’s intelligence and desire to be great will likely make quick work of that task anyway.

Senior Film for UCF Linebacker Commitment TJ Bullardhttps://t.co/nD6Ojqd8DQ
— Inside The Knights (@UCF_FanNation) November 19, 2021

For UCF coverage and recruiting information go to: The Daily Knight podcast. For more college football, UCF and recruiting information, go to Twitter: @fbscout_florida and @UCF_FanNation, as well as my YouTube Channel and Instagram page. Like and Subscribe!