Notre Dame 99-to-0: No. 18 Chance Tucker, junior cornerback
Listed measurements: 5-foot-11 ¾, 180 pounds.
2023-24 year, eligibility: A junior, Tucker has three seasons of eligibility remaining.
Depth Chart: Following the spring, Tucker looks like Notre Dame’s third-string boundary cornerback behind preseason All-American Benjamin Morrison and senior Clarence Lewis. Morrison should not come off the field in any competitive moments barring injury, and Lewis has plenty of experience, even if Irish fans naturally focus on his beaten moments, somewhat the case with any veteran cornerback.
Recruiting: A consensus three-star prospect, Tucker chose Notre Dame over most of the West Coast, notably including Washington, a defensive-back manufactory. The No. 41 cornerback in the class of 2021, per rivals.com, Tucker was also pursued by five Ivy League programs.
CAREER TO DATE
Tucker has played only in the 44-0 snowy rout of Boston College to end the 2022 home slate, logging 17 snaps that day.
QUOTES
Tucker moved to the boundary this spring after working on the field (wide) side last year.
“You can see the growth from last year to this year,” Irish cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens said in mid-April. “He’s only going to get better. He has done a lot of good things. I know he hasn’t played a lot of ball, but I treat him as more of a veteran and understanding what we want in the system.”
Tucker may be the third-string boundary cornerback, but in a more linear depth chart, he could be as high as fifth or sixth. (Morrison, fifth-year Cam Hart, sophomore Jaden Mickey, Lewis and then either Oklahoma State transfer Thomas Harper, a freshman or Tucker.) Just one injury could propel him to a contributing role, given how often defenses need six defensive backs in modern college football.
“Understanding that he’s a play away,” Mickens said. “That’s the biggest thing. You want to create great depth in the room and play multiple guys in the room. You earn that obviously out there, but him understanding that he’s a play away makes you focus a little bit.”
WHAT WAS PROJECTED A YEAR AGO
“Tucker not playing in 2021 was not a shock. He played mostly receiver in high school; time was needed to adjust to cornerback.
“Time may still be needed, but there is no advantage to sitting Tucker any longer. Some Saturday tests will reveal how he is taking to being on defense full-time.
“Yet, those tests may be few and far between. Notre Dame’s starting trio of Lewis, Hart and (TaRiq) Bracy will have some leash, especially early in the season. Behind them, Mickey, (Ryan) Barnes and (Philip) Riley look best positioned to step into roles. Then, perhaps only then, the Irish might turn to Tucker.
“Aside from that, some special teams contributions feel like a default for Tucker, even at sub-six-foot.”
2023 OUTLOOK
Hart’s shoulder requires a repeated disclaimer. An injury to him would not be shocking, because it has plagued him for years. And if he goes down, then plenty of cornerbacks will head up the depth chart by a notch, including Tucker.
That may be what it takes for him to play defensively. Notre Dame needs five cornerbacks, but it has them, and if it needs additional depth, four veteran safeties and early-enrolled freshman Ben Minich can supplement them, not to mention expanding the duties for fifth-year linebacker Jack Kiser.
Tucker would need to outright leapfrog Mickey, Harper or Lewis, and given how far ahead of him they all were last year, that would be a significant jump.
That should leave special teams coverage units as Tucker’s default, hardly the praise he sought at this point in his career but an avenue onto the field, nonetheless.
DOWN THE ROAD
Let’s take two looks here, step by step. First, who will be gone in 2024?
Hart, if healthy, will head to the NFL. Harper will be out of eligibility. As will sixth-year safety DJ Brown.
Secondly, who would have a clear reason to look elsewhere for playing time? If Lewis has a role in 2023, he should have a chance at starting in 2024, so not him. Obviously, this is wondering if Tucker fits this billing, and that may come down to if early-enrolled freshman Christian Gray or incoming freshman Micha Bell steps ahead of Tucker this fall. Just one of them doing so would likely preclude him from starting in 2024, at which point he may take a possible degree and try to find more playing time at a Group of Five program, perhaps out West as a Los Angeles native.
Returning to Notre Dame would set up Tucker for a fourth season in this holding pattern, playing just a touch more while hoping to slip into a special teams role.
NOTRE DAME 99-TO-0
The summer countdown begins anew, Rylie Mills to Deion Colzie
No. 99 Rylie Mills, senior defensive tackle, moving back inside from end
No. 98 Devan Houstan, early-enrolled four-star defensive tackle
No. 97 Gabriel Rubio, junior defensive tackle, one of three Irish DTs with notable experience
No. 95 Tyson Ford, sophomore defensive tackle, up 30 pounds from a year ago
No. 93 Armel Mukam, incoming freshman defensive end, former Stanford commit
No. 92 Aidan Keanaaina, a senior defensive tackle now ‘fully healthy’ after a 2022 torn ACL
No. 91 Aiden Gobaira, sophomore defensive end, former four-star recruit
No. 88 Mitchell Evans, the next starter at ‘TE U
No. 87 Cooper Flanagan, incoming freshman tight end, four-star recruit
No. 84 Kevin Bauman, senior tight end coming off a torn ACL
No. 83 Jayden Thomas, junior receiver, probable No. 1 target in 2023
No. 79 Tosh Baker, senior tackle, again a backup but next year ...
No. 78 Pat Coogan, junior interior offensive lineman
No. 77 Ty Chan, sophomore offensive tackle, former four-star recruit
No. 76 Joe Alt, first-team All-American left tackle
No. 75 Sullivan Absher, incoming freshman offensive lineman
No. 74 Billy Schrauth, sophomore left guard, likely starter
No. 73 Andrew Kristofic, fifth-year right guard, likely starter
No. 72 Sam Pendelton, early-enrolled freshman offensive lineman
No. 70 Ashton Craig, sophomore interior offensive lineman
No. 68 Michael Carmody, senior offensive lineman
No. 65 Michael Vinson, sixth-year long snapper, four-year starter
No. 64 Joe Otting, incoming freshman offensive lineman, four-star recruit
No. 59 Aamil Wagner, sophomore offensive tackle
No. 56 Charles Jagusah, incoming freshman offensive lineman, four-star recruit
No. 56 Howard Cross, fifth-year defensive tackle, multi-year starter
No. 55 Chris Terek, incoming freshman offensive lineman, four-star recruit
No. 54 Blake Fisher, junior right tackle, second-year starter
No. 52 Zeke Correll, fifth-year center, third-year starter
No. 51 Boubacar Traore, incoming freshman defensive end, four-star recruit
No. 50 Rocco Spindler, junior offensive guard
No. 47 Jason Onye, junior defensive tackle on the verge of playing time
No. 44 Junior Tuihalamaka, sophomore defensive end, former linebacker
No. 42 Nolan Ziegler, sophomore linebacker, Irish legacy
No. 41 Donovan Hinish, sophomore defensive tackle following in his brother’s footsteps
No. 40 Joshua Burnham, sophomore linebacker-turned-Vyper end
No. 38 Davis Sherwood, junior fullback/H-back, former walk-on
No. 34 Drayk Bowen, early-enrolled freshman linebacker, baseball infielder
No. 32 Spencer Shrader, South Florida transfer kicker
No. 31 Nana Osafo-Mensah, fifth-year defensive end
No. 29 Christian Gray, early-enrolled freshman cornerback coming off a knee injury
No. 29 Matt Salerno, sixth-year receiver, former walk-on
No. 27 JD Bertrand, fifth-year linebacker, third-year starter, possible captain
No. 25 Preston Zinter, early-enrolled freshman linebacker, subtle recruiting win
No. 24 Jack Kiser, fifth-year linebacker, third-year starter, most efficient defender
No. 24 Jadarian Price, sophomore RB, reportedly recovered from an Achilles injury
No. 23 Jaiden Ausberry, early-enrolled freshman linebacker, four-star recruit
No. 22 Ben Minich, early-enrolled freshman safety, four-star recruit
No. 22 Jeremiyah Love, incoming freshman running back, four-star recruit
No. 21 Adon Shuler, early-enrolled freshman safety coming off shoulder surgery
No. 20 Benjamin Morrison, sophomore cornerback, preseason All-American
No. 19 Jaden Greathouse, early-enrolled freshman receiver, Blue-Gold Game star
No. 18 Steve Angeli, sophomore quarterback, competing for the backup role
No. 17 Brenan Vernon, incoming freshman defensive end, four-star recruit
No. 13 Holden Staes, sophomore tight end, up 20 pounds in a year
No. 12 Penn State RB transfer Devyn Ford gives Notre Dame newly-needed backfield depth, experience
No. 4 Rhode Island transfer safety Antonio Carter gives Notre Dame desperately needed backline depth
