IUplanet talked today with
Ted Bolser, a tight end out of Indian Hill HS in Cincinnati, Ohio, about his decision to play for the Hoosiers. Bolser committed on June 27 and was one of a two-day flurry of commitments for IU.
Bolser, who plays wide receiver for Indian Hill, is an athletic prospect who has the speed and size to be a mismatch at the tight end position. He made his choice after taking a visit to Bloomington.
“I really liked the campus, and actually Coach
[Mike] Yeager, my recruiting coordinator, he went to my school, and he could relate to me,” said Bolser. “He said it’s a perfect school for you, you’ll fit right in, and that they’re going to be building a $55 million project, they’re rebuilding their stadium, and redoing their dorms.”
When asked if anything really stood out to him about IU, he said, "it was the campus, the campus was beautiful. “All the facilities were amazing, and the school was just good all-around.”
While Bolser liked Indiana a lot, Kentucky was also close in the race until it received a commitment from Georgia tight end
Justin Jones. “It was either between the University of Kentucky or Indiana. It was a really close call," said Bolser. "But the reason I chose Indiana mainly is because Kentucky actually had a tight end commit that day, on my way back my brother called me and told me, so I narrowed my decision down to one, and IU was it.”
He said that he sees a great opportunity to play and contribute soon at IU. “There’s three juniors and one sophomore, and there’s nobody in between,” said Bolser about the current situation for his position. Kentucky also had a second tight end commit on July 3.
Ted Bolser
Position: Tight end
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 225 lbs
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Analysis: Bolser is a good receiving tight end with the speed and hands to give the Hoosiers a legitimate threat at his position. With IU's spread offense he should turn into a nice offensive weapon. Although his strength isn't blocking, his pass-catching ability is definitely a plus. He knows how to go up and fight for the ball.
When asked about what sets him apart, Bolser noted his wide receiver skill-set and mentality. “At the tight end position I play like a wide receiver, so most linebackers won’t be able to cover me,” he said. “I have really good hands, and I can catch well. I have better feet than most people my size.” His statistics back up his own analysis: he runs a 4.7 second 40-yard dash and tallied 68 receptions and 1,068 yard his junior year.
Though Bolser has little to no experience playing at the tight end position, he believes that he can make the transition successfully. “The coaches at IU said they can teach blocking, but they can’t teach the ability to be athletic, so I definitely have some working to do on blocking,” he said. ”I’m eventually going to become a hybrid and be able to do everything, and be one of those kind of people that stay on the field the whole time, and not come off and have a blocking tight end come on for me.”
Now that his decision is made, Bolser is happy to be able to focus on the upcoming season. “Honestly, nothing,” he said about what he would be doing specifically to prepare for college. “The IU coaches told me not to worry about anything, and the only thing I need to worry about is winning a state championship for my team.”
--------------------------------------------------------------
What do you think about Ted Bolser's future here at IU? Will he be a stud or a bench-warmer? Let us know!
More IU football discussion in the forums
Thanks to Ted for the interview!
new recruit 2009-Ted Bolser
Linear Mode
