Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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PREP PROFILES Delaware (Ohio) Rutherford B. Hayes four-star linebacker Ethan Tucky first visited South Bend this past November when the Irish took on BYU. The 6-2, 210-pounder from the class of 2016, re- turned to Notre Dame on June 9. That t r i p w a s a b o u t spending time with the coaches, getting a better feel for the campus and learn- ing what it means to be a student-ath- lete in South Bend. "I was talking with [defensive line coach] Mike Elston for most of the trip," Tucky said. "He's my main re- cruiter. We spent a lot of time together and had some great discussions. "We got a great tour of the campus, and we got a chance to get to know the coaches a little better. It was just a relax- ing, fun trip. It was different than when I was up there for the game. It was a lot more relaxed, there wasn't a game go- ing on and it was beautiful out. It was just nice being on campus. "It's beautiful there." Tucky will return to Notre Dame for a third trip Sept. 6, when the Irish host Michigan. It's not typical for a recruit to earn an offer on a game-day visit, but the Ohio native is hoping that is exactly what occurs this trip. "Elston made it clear that he wants to see some junior tape before they offer, but you never know," Tucky said. "It could happen, and I'm hoping it does, but I appreciate the honesty either way. "A Notre Dame o ff e r w o u l d b e huge. Looking at academics alone, it would be great. They have a really strong graduation rate, and that's big for me. It's a lot more than football with Notre Dame." A l t h o u g h h e lives very close to Columbus and Ohio State's cam- pus, Tucky admits that he grew up watching Notre Dame games on televi- sion. However, the junior recruit won't allow that to factor into his decision. "I don't want to be biased when look- ing at my recruitment," he said. "I did like Notre Dame growing up, though. I liked them, and Ohio State, who was pretty much the local school everyone liked. I won't let that stuff interfere with my choice, though. I just need to make a great business decision for both academics and football." As a sophomore, Tucky raced up 88 tackles, six sacks and two interceptions. — Tom Loy Third Trip Could Be The Charm For Ohio Linebacker ETHAN TUCKY ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Rutherford B. Hayes H.S. Delaware, Ohio Status: Interested Class: 2016 Position: Outside Linebacker Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 210 40-Yard Dash: 4.61 247Sports Rankings: No. 99 overall recruit in the nation, No. 8 outside linebacker in the land and No. 7 prospect in Ohio