RECRUITING: Sooners visit Georgia LB
By James Hale
Date: Jun 23, 2004
Atlanta, Ga. linebacker Taalib Tucker update.
TAALIB TUCKER, LB, 6’1, 235, 4.5, ATLANTA, GEORGIA (WESTLAKE HS):
Taalib Tucker is one of those players that grows on you the more you watch him and the more you talk to him. Considered a very intelligent player, Tucker has grown into a solid MLB prospect and college coaches are beginning to take notice.
Tucker moved to Westlake from Columbus Hardaway where he started as a freshman at running back before moving to outside linebacker. As a sophomore at Westlake, Tucker started at outside linebacker and he remained as a starter last year. Injuries cost him almost half a season a year ago, but he still finished with 96 tackles, five sacks, two fumbles caused and one fumble recovery that he returned for a touchdown.
“I am being recruited more as an inside linebacker in college because of my size,” said Tucker. “I think I can play either inside or outside, but I think most colleges project me as an inside linebacker.”
Tucker can bench 405 pounds, squats 675 and he posted a 36 1/2 vertical jump. Tucker runs the 100M (10.78 ) and the 4X100 (anchor) on the Westlake track team. Tucker went to the Florida and Georgia Tech summer camp, and he hopes to visit Clemson and Ohio State this summer.
Tucker has three scholarship offers from Georgia Tech, Florida and Eastern Kentucky. However, he feels many more are on the way.
“Right now Georgia Tech, Florida, Clemson, Oklahoma and Ohio State are my top five,” said Tucker. “I am working hard to keep my options open because I haven’t had a chance to talk to everybody yet.
"Oklahoma came to my school and I had a good talk to their coach. He was a great guy and he told me that they blitz a lot out of the defense that they run, and I know they always have one of the best defenses in the country. Oklahoma is definitely in my top five. Oklahoma has talked me about offering me, and I think the next time that I talk to them I think they will offer.”
Tucker has qualified.
