Offensive tackle Hunter Bivin, of Apollo High School in Owensboro, Ky., has signed his letter of intent to play for Brian Kelly and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Bivin was one of the earliest commitments to Notre Dame's 2013 class, pledging to the Irish back in March. He has prototypical tackle size and was sought after by many of the nation's top programs.
Hunter Bivin signs with Notre Dame
Notre Dame brings in a big offensive tackle with some athleticism to bolster their front line.
Bud Elliot, SB Nation
Bivin chose Notre Dame over offers from Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Ohio State, Texas A&M, and many others. He took an official visit on Jan. 18 to South Bend to confirm his allegiance to the Irish.
All major recruiting services pegged Bivin as a four-star recruit, and he comes in at No. 97 in the composite top 100 put together by 247 Sports. He ranks as the No. 9 offensive tackle in the country on average, with 247 Sports giving him the highest acclaim at No. 4, and Scout giving him the lowest at No. 14 positionally.
Standing at a towering 6’7 and around 290 pounds, Bivin is a huge physical specimen with room to add a few pounds of muscle. He has a solid punch, often using it to knock defenders back on first contact. He also possesses good quickness for his size, and is able to get out of his stance quickly in running situations. He stays engaged with blockers well, often running them to the ground. His footwork is fine, with his biggest area of improvement likely coming in the weight room. He obviously enjoys laying the wood and knocking people over until the whistle blows, which is always a great attribute for an offensive lineman.
Notre Dame will have plenty of competition at the tackle position for Bivin. The school is expected to sign three other top-level offensive tackles in the 2013 class, all of which rate out in the top 15 at their position. Bivin has also played center, but seems to be a bit tall to do that in college.
Ratings: Four-star: Scout, Rivals, ESPN, 247 Sports
Vitals: 6’7, 290, 5.1 40-yard dash
Other offers: Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Ohio State, Texas A&M, Clemson, Indiana, Kentucky, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, and Wisconsin
Twitter: @HunterBivin
Recruitment timeline: Committed to Notre Dame on March 24, 2012. Took official visit on Jan. 18.
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