Tucker brings speed, power to '17 class

Several Power 5 programs -- Texas, LSU and TCU, especially -- thought they had the inside track to land Manvel 2017 S Derrick Tucker. Instead, he shocked many by committing to Texas A&M Friday morning, which is a testament to the hard work Clarence McKinney and Terry Joseph had done building a relationship with the 4-star prospect.

In Tucker, the Aggies pick up the number 10 safety in the nation according to Rivals.com and a player who fits John Chavis' checklist for a defensive back almost to a T. He's tall (6-foot-3), lanky (180 pounds) and has plenty of room to grown. It wouldn't take much for him to get up to 200 pounds before he's roaming the secondary on Kyle Field.

But A&M wasn't interested in him for his potential. They were interested in him because they guy can flat out play football. I liked him better last year than Deontay Anderson, another 4-star and Rivals 250 safety who ended up at Ole Miss. I thought then, and think now, that Tucker is the more complete player.

If you watch his highlights, the first thing that sticks out is his versatility. He didn't just play safety for Manvel last year, but he played outside linebacker as well. He's got excellent speed and anticipation, and he's not afraid to play on the other side of the line of scrimmage if he's up in run support. As a corner, he's very physical (a definite must for Chavis) and will get up a receiver at the line of scrimmage and deny him the field, forcing him to the sideline.

The Aggies are going to want him as a safety, though, and that's where he does his best work. He shows that he can defend the pass in coverage and has great vision, jumping routes and getting to the ball before the receiver does. He backpedals well and can turn and run when he needs to. If a receiver catches the ball, Tucker is more than willing to put his shoulder in and hit someone. He'll wrap up when he needs to, but if the opportunity presents itself, he's going to bring the wood.

Tucker brings safety size, a linebacker mentality and corner speed to the Aggies 2017 class. When you're looking for a jumpstart to regain momentum, it's hard to think of a better talent to do it with. He immediately jumps in the mix for a starting job next year at free safety should Armani Watts decide to turn pro after this season. If not, it'll be fun to see him compete with Larry Pryor and Justin Dunning in the secondary for playing time.