Scouting Ethan Tuckys senior film

Boston College linebacker commitment Ethan Tucky is doing a little something different this year. In the process he's demonstrating his versatility.

Tucky will be a linebacker at Boston College. He'll be a linebacker that becomes known for his speed -- his ability to fly to the football.

But in high school, or at least so far this season, the Delaware (Ohio) Hayes senior has been playing defensive end in a 3-5-3 defensive alignment. His speed has been utilized, but from a defensive end position that makes that speed take on an even greater value.

Tucky's speed is a major match up problem for offensive tackles at the high school level. That he's demonstrated enough power and competence against the run has allowed Hayes to drop more players into coverage. It's made Hayes a lot faster up front, and it's given them a much better pass rush than they could have with another player at defensive end. But it's also allowed them to put more speed at other positions on the field.

One thing that stands out about Tucky on film is how low he plays -- from when he lines up to when he explodes off the ball. He keeps his back straight when he's getting after the quarterback. His low center of gravity as a pass rusher, coupled with his speed, gives tackles very little margin for error. Either they stay perfectly balanced coming out of their stance -- which isn't easy when they're adjusting to his excellent speed -- or they find themselves in a very difficult situation.

More impressive than Tucky's natural ability to tee off and get after the quarterback -- since it's a given that a very fast outside linebacker that's polished would be able to do that -- is his ability to seal the edge and determine exactly what kind of pocket the quarterback's going to be working with.

Though Tucky won't be playing defensive end for the Eagles he will be taking on blocks from running backs and tight ends. He's taken those on aggressively, initiating powerful blows, sending blockers backwards and freeing up to continue his pursuit. He's got good upper body strength and that's helped him dominate running backs that have tried to serve as a last line of defense.

Tucky is also relentless in pursuit. He doesn't give up on a play and there's good reason for that. His speed means that he's rarely ever out of a play.

Another thing that makes Tucky such a valuable defender is the way that he takes on ball-carriers without any hesitation. Some players get caught flat footed in the open field and leave themselves susceptible to hard cuts and elusive players. Tucky stays on his toes and keeps moving forward, aggressively, and doesn't allow the player with the ball to keep him off balance.

When he's running the ball from the offensive backfield his power is on display just as much as his speed. He breaks a lot of tackles because he drives his legs but also because he can shrug off contact and would-be tackles from his torso-up. Defenders have to go very low to bring him down and that requires the kind of discipline that's tough to maintain in full-speed situations over the course of a game.

His lateral quickness and agility in the hips is something that he can continue to improve and Tucky's straight-line speed in pursuit is more impressive than his east-west running, but that's the kind of player he is.

He's a candidate to become an early contributor at Boston College because of his advanced physical maturity, his combination of speed and strength, and the fact that he's proven to adjust to different circumstances and demands on the field, as evidenced by his ability to play defensive end in a 3-3-5 scheme.