How Has Jordan Tucker Developed Into A Starter?
CHAPEL HILL – Jordan Tucker ended spring practice as North Carolina’s starting right tackle. He opened fall camp as the Tar Heels’ starting right tackle, and the odds are quite heavy he will go into UNC’s season-opener versus South Carolina on Aug. 31 as the team’s starting right tackle.
From a sporadic season in which he played just 78 snaps last fall as a redshirt freshman, just how has Tucker managed to emphatically secure such an important position so quickly into the new coaching staff’s tenure?
Let him explain.
“Other than just trusting the coaching staff and weight room staff, it’s just been grinding,” Tucker said, following Sunday’s practice, the third of fall camp for the Tar Heels. “The new weight room staff really has us energetic and made me want to work.
“So just getting stronger, faster, a little leaner really helped. Really digging into my playbook helped put me in the position I’m in.”
A native of Roswell, GA, Tucker redshirted in 2017 and saw action in eight of Carolina’s 11 contests last season, starting the finale against N.C. State. But still, just 78 snaps isn’t much, but when the door of opportunity opened, the 6-foot-7, 335-pound Tucker was the one who scooted on through the most.
William Sweet left a year early for the NFL prompting Charlie Heck's move to left tackle, so a battle for the starting right tackle position commenced the minute spring practice began. By mid-April, Tucker wasn’t just the starter, but he was drawing very high praise from his position coach, who has mentored some outstanding players in his distinguished career.
“In my career, it’s always hard to find elite tackles, and I think right now we’ve got two pretty good tackles in Charlie Heck and Jordan Tucker,” UNC offensive line coach Stacy Searels said. “They both have length, they both have size, they both have athleticism, and I’m excited about the two tackles, I think they can be really good.”
The comparison to Heck is interesting. Heck is also 6-foot-7 and has spent a lot of time working with Tucker, not just these past few months, but it dates back to Tucker’s arrival to Chapel Hill.
Heck’s father, Andy, played a decade in the NFL and has been an NFL coach for years, so the teaching gene is in the family’s blood, something Tucker experienced early on in his Carolina career.
“Charlie was my roommate my freshman year and we’ve been boys since I got here,” Tucker said. “He’s helped me with footwork, steps, getting into my playbook and really getting into the routine of watching film, helping me polish my game up.”
Okay, so its established that Tucker is huge, can move and possesses attributes his coach likes. But more specific, what does Searels like most about his game, and conversely, what does he think Tucker needs to work on the most?
“He does like my footwork,” Tucker replied. “Tackles have to have good footwork because of speed d-ends and all that. I’d say he likes my footwork but he does want me to touch up the footwork at the same time.
“And also, really bring in my hands and my punch is something I’ve got to work on. I feel like I know the offense pretty well, I can see the field pretty well.”
Knowledge, vision, athletic ability, size, strength, and a burning desire have united within Jordan Tucker, and the result is he’s a near-lock to start for the Tar Heels in the opener.