Pitt makes top seven of cornerback Javon Bullard

Pat Narduzzi and the Panthers coaching staff have been hard at work on the recruiting trail this offseason, and their efforts have once again earned them a spot as a finalist in the recruitment of a noteworthy prospect, as Javon Bullard, a top-50 cornerback in the 2021 class, placed Pitt in his top seven on Saturday.

The other six teams still in the mix for Bullard include Georgia, Louisville, NC State, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia. That list was whittled down from a 20-team offer sheet that included offers from 11 Power Five programs. Some of Bullard's most notable cuts included Auburn, Central Florida, Vanderbilt, Virginia and Wake Forest.

The 6’0”, 168-pound cornerback holds three-star ratings from 247Sports and Rivals, and the latter recruiting website is the one that ranks him among the nation’s top 50 cornerbacks. Specifically, Rivals places Bullard at No. 47 at his position and No. 56 in Georgia. However, 247Sports places him at No. 70 at his position and No. 60 in the Peach State.

During his junior year at Baldwin High School in Milledgeville, Georgia, Bullard accrued 79 tackles, seven tackles for loss and two picks despite sitting out four games of a 12-game season due to injury. However, his team struggled, playing to a 5-7 record in 2019.

If Pitt is able to land Bullard, he would be the team’s second recruit out of Georgia in the 2021 class, as three-star linebacker Preston Lavant committed to the Panthers on Mother’s Day. He would also be the team’s fifth Georgia recruit in the last two classes, as Jaylon Barden, Rashad Battle and Hunter Sellers were all part of Pitt's 2020 class.