[LeeCoUKFan]

Versatility is key for UK commit Tucker

Justin Rowland
Special to CatsIllustrated.com

Stone Mountain (Ga.) Stephenson cornerback Jared Tucker had an offer list as impressive as any belonging to a Kentucky commitment prior to his pledge and a quick look at his game makes that easy to understand.

Stephenson head coach Ronald Gartrell has seen what Tucker can do first hand.

His 5-foot-11, 162-pound cornerback is a big-time athlete that could have chosen a number of other schools in the SEC and around the country. Gartrell noted that South Carolina was another school that had come after him hard.

But in the end Tucker chose Kentucky and Gartrell believes the Wildcats are getting a big-time player.

"Jared does a lot of good things for us," Gartrell said. "First of all he's going to be a three-year starter, which is rare in our program. He's a two-sport athlete. I believe he was a regional and county champion in the 100-meter dash. He's a three-position player in the secondary. He can play both corners and both safety spots."

That versatility may be Tucker's greatest asset, though Gartrell believes he's bound for corner in the Southeastern Conference.

"There's a chance he may start at corner next year away from the safety position where he started the last two years," he said. "He's had punt returns for touchdowns, kick returns for touchdowns, and (last) year he got a handful of snaps on offense. He's a multi-position player with speed and coverage ability. Kentucky's getting a really good player.

"Jared has good hips and he's a really good athlete. He jumps well and runs well," Gartrell added.

However, he did note that Tucker is well aware that he will have to continue to add weight to make it in the SEC.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1520984