MSU WR Bullard Jr. in Long Battle for NCAA Waiver
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EAST LANSING, Mich. --- Even though he's only played in three seasons of college football, Michigan State wide receiver Rodney Bullard Jr. doesn't know if he's eligible for next season or not.
"It's just my fourth year," Bullard said on Thursday. "It's not like I'm asking for a fifth, sixth, seventh year. I've only played three years."
Bullard wasn't recruited anywhere after high school. He chose to attend Valdosta State, where he was a part-time student as a true freshman. Supposedly, that year when Bullard wasn't on the football team started the clock on his NCAA eligibility, which is why Bullard needs a waiver in the first place.
The only reason Bullard ended up playing football was luck. He's from Georgia and grew up about an hour and a half from Valdosta State's campus, and he happened to know a few members of the team. Coaches spotted him doing some 1-on-1s during the spring of his freshman year and gave him a chance.
Long Wait
Bullard has been awaiting the ruling on his waiver for a long time in a case that seems relatively simple. His fellow Spartans have been asking him if he's heard back since winter workouts in January. Bullard has only been able to respond with "any day now." He basically has no clue when he'll learn, whether he's eligible or not. The NCAA hasn't given him any real timetable.
"I'm gonna tell you 'any day now,' but you can't really hold me to it," Bullard said when I asked when he might hear back. "I'm just waiting, just working every day, and waiting to see what happens."
My Personal Take
Personally, I think it's a bit ridiculous that Bullard is still awaiting a decision here. College football has had seventh-, eighth-, and even ninth-year seniors in pretty recent memory. Bullard is still only 22 years old, which is about as normal an age for a college senior as it gets.
A year as a part-time student burning a season of eligibility is a little ridiculous, especially in an age where the NCAA is letting European professionals and NBA draft picks play college basketball. Giving a 22-year-old that fourth year of college football that everyone else gets is the fair thing to do here.
If the NCAA goes down amid the chaos sparked by NIL, the transfer portal, and conference realignment, it won't be because it gave Rodney Bullard Jr. a fourth year of football. It's the right thing to do, and Bullard's case is pretty rare, so you don't have to worry about it setting a super big precedent.
What's also been clarified is that Bullard would spend that final year of eligibility at MSU. He announced that he was entering the transfer portal in January, but he's not looking elsewhere anymore.
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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