Tre Tucker Has Room to Improve as Special Teams Threat

Las Vegas Raiders rookie wide receiver Tre Tucker was a stellar kick returner in college and is could very well be one in the NFL.

The Las Vegas Raiders not only got a great wide receiver in Tre Tucker with the 100th overall pick of this year's draft, but they also chose one of the best kick returners in the nation.

Tucker finished his career at the University of Cincinnati as the program's fifth all-time leader in kickoff return average at 24.93, third all-time leader in kickoff return yards, and is tied for second in kickoffs returned for touchdowns with two.

The rookie wideout has been practicing his returns in training camp. His next challenge, according to Raiders special teams coach Tom McMahon, will be to become a successful punt returner.

"Tre [Tucker] has done a great job," McMahon told reporters on Tuesday. "People have to realize that Tre was a kick returner in Cincinnati, so Tre naturally can catch kickoffs. And what he's done for us, he's done a great job of, and he's got a ways to go. We all have ways to go, but he's really trying to learn how to catch punts. And an NFL punt is 1,000 percent different than a college punt. There are not a lot of guys in college who can hit 5.0, 4.5s and it's a rollout play. ... The college punt is Mars and we're on Earth. They can roll out and everybody can release when the ball is snapped, so you get the rugby punts. You don't get any of those, you have to pocket punt pretty much in this league. So [Tucker] has to get under balls and catch them."

McMahon said Tucker is using the resources around him to broaden his return game.

"What I like is that he has taken Danny Amendola's coaching, he's taken DC [DeAndre Carter], Hunter [Renfrow], all those guys, and he's trying to emulate them because they do it right," McMahon said. "He's got the best coach in the league, who has done this for many years."

Tucker played four seasons for Cincinnati, where he was a key contributor in the Bearcats' run to the the College Football Playoff in the 2021-22 season.

The Silver and Black open the preseason by hosting the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Aug. 13, at 4 p.m. EDT/1 p.m. PDT.

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