Moments before commitment, top recruit’s dad accidentally spoils college decision
By Jake Rill
Published:
It was Jalil Tucker’s big moment. Finally, he had reached the end of the recruitment process and was ready to announce his college decision. Which school was going to land the 4-star athlete?
Tucker, who attends Lincoln High School in San Diego, was preparing to choose between Oregon, Washington and Florida State. He was surrounded by family members at his announcement ceremony, and before revealing his choice, a reporter from KUSI News wanted to interview Tucker’s dad about the big day.
“I’m happy for him, he’s a good kid,” Tucker’s dad told the reporter. “Lazy, but he’s a good kid. And I know he’s going to represent Oregon well.”
Wait, what?
That’s right, before Tucker could announce his commitment to the Ducks, his dad spoiled it. The family had fun with it, though, and Tucker laughed it off. Then, he still went through with the formal announcement, pulling out an Oregon hat and putting it on to make things official:
Jalil Tucker’s dad is the real MVP #goducks #Oregon #jaliltucker pic.twitter.com/jjg0ycBdAh
— Robin Miller (@OregonMiller) August 21, 2021
Even though Tucker’s dad slipped up, it may have made his son’s announcement even more memorable.
Now, Tucker is officially a member of Oregon’s 2022 recruiting class. Per the 247Sports Composite rankings, Tucker is the No. 144 player in the 2022 class, as well as the No. 6 athlete and the No. 11 recruit from California.
And he may even go on to represent Oregon well — just as his dad accidentally forecasted.
Jake Rill contributes to news coverage for Saturday Down South. He has covered the SEC since 2016.
