Big and fast, WSU commit Malijah Tucker gives Tumwater football disruptive defensive presence

Tucker's breakout season at noseguard in 2022 included eight sacks, 18 tackles for loss

Tumwater's Malijah Tucker had a breakout junior year with eight sacks and 18 TFL, and is now a WSU commit. / Photo by Todd Milles

TUMWATER, Wash. - If you think Malijah Tucker is a quick-twitch specimen on the interior of the reigning Class 2A runner-up's defensive line, you should seem in sprint.

Keep in mind, he is 6 feet and 265 pounds.

And in the spring of 2023, he decided to try the 100-meter dash on Tumwater High School's boys track and field team.

In fact, the Thunderbirds welcomed a little beef in their sprinting corps that season. Among them was running back Carlos Matheney (5-10, 220), who is now at the University of Idaho.

In head-to-head showdowns, Tucker usually came out on top.

"That was always the main matchup in track," Tucker said. "I beat him regularly ... with a 12.6 (second time). I've always been really fast for my size. Heck, I played running back in (youth football)."

Tucker's explosiveness in football caught the attention of WSU coaches, who offered him last spring. The three-star prospect committed to the Cougars in April.

"Going into his junior year, we though he was going to be a pretty good player," Tumwater football coach Willie Garrow said. "It was probably Week 3 or so, we realized he is really good. He was creating neck snap on offensive linemen. it was pretty visible on film to see their head snap back when he would strike."

On a defensive line thatT included all-state defensive end Alex Hach, who is now at EWU, Tucker racked up eight sacks and 18 tackles for loss from his noseguard position as a junior.

"He scoots for a big fella," Garrow said.

Individual statistics are not being promoted around campus, however.

Last year's WIAA championship game score - a 60-30 loss to Anacortes - is.

During the recent Thurston County Team Camp at Sid Otton Field, signs of that score were visible on the surrounding fence.

"We are not afraid to put it up in front of the kids, because we know we should be better than that," Garrow said.

Added Tucker: "You always think about '60-30', and it makes you work that much harder. For me personally, I do not want to let that happen again."