Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1338415
54 MARCH 2021 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2021 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY PATRICK ENGEL Chance Tucker didn't waste time lamenting COVID-19 recruiting re- strictions, because he knew no other alternative. The three-star cornerback from Encino (Calif.) Crespi Carmelite High School had his entire recruit- ing process, from first offer to Notre Dame commitment, play out during the pandemic. There was no control group normalcy for comparison. When framed that way, there was little reason to be sour. "We just tried to cut out all the negativity and focus on the posi- tives of the situation," said Byron Tucker, Chance's father, "and that was Chance receiving 21 offers to play college football." The 6-0, 165-pound Tucker met virtually with coaches from all 21 schools. Attracting his interest for a more serious look became a mat- ter of building the best possible rela- tionship over digital means. On that, Notre Dame stood out. A bond with cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens and then-defensive coordinator Clark Lea, Zoom meet- ings with endless members of the university community and polished pitches made a school nearly 2,000 miles away feel comfortable to him — even though he wouldn't get to meet anyone in person until he shows up on campus in June 2021. Since coaches weren't out traveling to recruit, though, they had more time to talk with him. "[It was] my relationship with Coach Mickens over the phone, just texting and talking every week," Tucker said. Mickens' involvement, virtual tours and meetings with others in the program gave Tucker plenty of infor- mation about Notre Dame's campus life, academics and football. He liked the on-field results as well. He even spoke with Tom Mendoza, namesake of the university's business school. The whole package led him to nar- row down his decision to the Irish and Washington. Tucker admit- ted Washington held the lead for a stretch, but not because it was closer to home and provided more comfort in a bizarre time. "Location was never a roadblock for where I was going to be," Tucker said. "I know I'd fit in anywhere." He and Byron took self-guided vis- its to both schools in early July 2020. The trip to South Bend helped push the Irish into the lead. "I liked the vibe and feel of Notre Dame better," Tucker said. About three weeks later, he com- mitted. He had all the information he needed, even though arriving at that point took an abnormal path. "We just had to accept that it was going to be different from the usual way," Tucker said, "And make the best of everything." ✦ Chance Tucker Makes The Best Of Pandemic Recruitment Tucker met virtually with coaches from all 21 schools that offered him and was not able to take any official visits, though a self-guided tour of the Notre Dame campus helped him settle on the Fighting Irish. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM CHANCE TUCKER CORNERBACK 6-0 · 165 CRESPI CARMELITE H.S. ENCINO, CALIF. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ — 40 30 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 58 67 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 53 59 STATISTICS • Did not have a fall senior season due to Califor- nia canceling high school sports. • Had 58 tackles, 10 passes defended and three interceptions (one returned for touchdown), plus 13 receptions for 176 yards and two scores, during his junior season in 2019. • Posted 33 tackles and one forced fumble, along with nine receptions for 109 yards and one touch- down, as a sophomore. NOTABLE • Born on Aug. 17, 2003. • 2019 All-Angelus League second-team defense. • 2019 Outstanding Defensive Back at USC Rising Stars Camp. • 2019 Crespi High Track & Field Athlete of the Year. • Ran a 10.97 in his first 100-meter race. • Part of the 2019 Crespi track team that won the CIF Southern Section Division 4 championship. • Three-year member of the Crespi Presidents Honor Roll. • 2018 Crespi Outstanding Scholars Award. • Has a 4.34 cumulative GPA. • Went to the same high school as current Irish wide receiver/punt returner Matt Salerno. RECRUITMENT • Earned an offer from Notre Dame on June 2, 2020 and committed to the Fighting Irish on July 22, 2020. • Had a final two of Notre Dame and Washing- ton, and took self-guided tours of both schools last summer. • The Huskies held the lead until a push from the Irish staff and his self-guided tour of campus put Notre Dame back in front. • Was recruited by cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens. 2021 PROJECTION • Tucker has the speed and cover ability to play early in his career at Notre Dame, but the safe bet is that he will redshirt in 2021. THEY SAID IT Blue & Gold Illustrated football analyst Mike Goolsby: "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 [long- time NFL All-Pro] Richard Sherman in his move- ments. He competes and is a gritty player. This kid is probably faster at this point than Sherman was in his career." Rivals national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney: "He has great instincts to step in front of passes or bait the quarterback into making a bad throw. If he's not picking a pass off, Tucker is getting his head around to poke the ball away or make it re- ally difficult for receivers. "He is aggressive and gets his hands on receivers without drawing penalties, he has terrific speed to stay close on deep balls, and he's confident enough to play man coverage on an island with no help over the top. "Tucker has a lot of great attributes, but he's a kid who doesn't do a lot of offseason stuff, so it's difficult to compare him to the elite players in the region — especially this year with the coronavirus."