Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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56 PRESEASON 2020 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED Not every aspect of a prospect com- mitting to a school comes with a smile. While a high school football recruit has the opportunity to give good news to a coaching staff about his de- cision, he also has to tell other coaches he has built a strong connection with that he won't be choosing their school. Encino (Calif.) Crespi class of 2021 cornerback Chance Tucker — a three-star recruit who is currently unranked by Rivals — spent the weekend prior to announcing his verbal commitment informing every coaching staff that offered him that he would be heading elsewhere. "It was really, really tough," Tucker said. "I built some wonderful relation- ships, especially with those at Wash- ington. It was tough to say goodbye, but they understood; it's how this process goes. At the end of the day, you can only choose one school." In early July, Tucker took self- guided tours of Notre Dame and Washington — his unofficial top two schools — to get a better feel of the campus atmosphere. The Huskies led in Tucker's recruitment at that point. However, Notre Dame ultimately won his pledge July 17, and he announced his decision on Twitter July 22. "I was trying to get as much in- formation in as I could," Tucker ex- plained. "In the end, Notre Dame's academic prestige played a huge role in my decision. "It was a process over the next two weeks after I went on the visits. I took time to really think about it. In the end, it was really the academic prestige, life after football and development Notre Dame is going to put me through. "I love the way that Coach [Clark] Lea and Coach [Mike] Mickens are going to challenge me every day to be my best. I know they want the best in me as much as I want the best in myself." Tucker can't point to a specific mo- ment where he knew the Fighting Irish would be his choice, but he was on a Zoom call with Mickens, the cor- nerbacks coach, and Lea, the defen- sive coordinator, every day before his commitment. Those conversations where key in making his difficult de- cision a bit easier. "My mind had been thinking Notre Dame that entire week," Tucker said. "I remember after one Zoom meet- ing, I walked out into my living room and told my parents that I think this is where I want to go and spend the next four years of my life. They were excited. "I told Coach Lea and Coach Mickens on Friday, and then I took the weekend to reach out to all of the coaches who recruited me and thanked them for everything — let- ting them know that I appreciated them building relationships with me. "I also talked with Coach [Brian] Kelly on Friday. That was very heart- felt, and I felt the love from them. I'm super excited to join the Notre Dame family, and I can't wait to go pursue a national championship." Tucker's parents, Byron and Karen, were ecstatic to hear the news. "I knew what they wanted all along," Tucker said regarding his parents' favoritism towards Notre Dame. "In the end, it was my deci- sion, and they would've supported me wherever I went. It just worked out in their favor. I'm sure they're happy, and I am happy as well." Tucker plans to major in business at Notre Dame. "One thing I want to add is I talked to Mr. Mendoza of the business school at Notre Dame, and that was really special to me," Tucker noted. In 13 games last fall, Tucker posted 58 tackles, 10 passes defended and three interceptions (one returned for a touchdown). At receiver, he caught 13 passes for 176 yards and two scores. — Mike Singer COMMITMENT PROFILE CHANCE TUCKER Notre Dame Edges Washington To Land California Cornerback Tucker made 58 tackles, defended 10 passes and had three interceptions in 13 games for Encino (Calif.) Crespi in 2019. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM Film Analysis "He's another long corner and has great playing speed. He's not the twitchiest guy in the world, but he's long, physical and disciplined. It really seems that Brian Kelly has a blueprint in what he's looking for in defensive backs — long, tall and rangy athletes who are sneaky fast. "Tucker is a really talented player. He makes the field smaller for a quarterback. I think it's a good commitment. He's a focused guy who reminds me of [NFL great] Richard Sherman in his movements. He competes and is a gritty player. This kid is probably is faster at this point than Sherman was in his career." — Blue & Gold Illustrated football analyst Mike Goolsby "In the end, it was really the academic prestige, life after football and development Notre Dame is going to put me through. … I know they want the best in me as much as I want the best in myself." TUCKER ON NOTRE DAME