Bulaga to decide his future this week

Marian Central grad Bryan Bulaga and his Iowa teammates spent Tuesday night enjoying the team's 24-14 Orange Bowl win Tuesday night against Georgia Tech.

According to an online report by the Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Gazette, Bulaga remains undecided on whether he will return for another season in Iowa City.

“I’ve got a couple more things I want to talk over with my parents and coach (Kirk) Ferentz," Bulaga told reporters late Tuesday night after the game. "There will be a (news) release later on in the week."

The deadline for players to declare they are entering the NFL draft is Jan. 15.

Bulaga, the Hawkeyes' standout junior left offensive tackle, is projected by ESPN.com analyst Todd McShay to be a first-round draft pick if he chooses to leave school and enter the NFL draft in April.

Bulaga earned the Big Ten Conference's Offensive Lineman of the Year honor this season for Iowa (11-2) and was named a second-team all-American.

Barry Bottino writes a weekly column and a blog about local college athletes for the Northwest Herald. Write to him at BarryOnCampus@hotmail.com and check out his On Campus column every Saturday in the Northwest Herald sports section.