Tackett Curtis is an American football linebacker for the Wisconsin Badgers. He previously played for the USC Trojans.
| Wisconsin Badgers – No. 4 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Linebacker |
| Class | Sophomore |
| Major | Business Administration |
| Personal information | |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College | USC (2023) Wisconsin (2024–present) |
| High school | Many (Many, Louisiana) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Early life
editCurtis attended Many High School in Louisiana where he was a two-way player and was highly recruited, receiving offers to play college football as a freshman.[1] He totaled 92 tackles and four interceptions on defense as a sophomore and helped Many win the state championship while being named the Class 2A Most Outstanding Defensive Player, The Times Defensive Player of the Year, All-District, All-State, and the defensive most valuable player of the latter two.[2][3]
The following year, Curtis had 128 tackles, 18 tackles-for-loss, four interceptions and three forced fumbles and was named All-District and the defensive MVP, All-State and defensive MVP, the Louisiana Football Report Co-Defensive Player of the Year and MaxPreps Small School All-American.[2][4] As a senior, he helped Many win another state title while totaling 112 tackles, 16 tackles-for-loss, six sacks and three interceptions, additionally recording 1,115 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns.[2] He was the first Many athlete to be named the LSWA Mr. Football and received many other additional honors, including: state championship MVP, MaxPreps Louisiana Player of the Year, All-District, district defensive MVP, first-team MaxPreps All-American and being a finalist for the Butkus Award for top linebacker in the U.S.[2][5][6] Curtis was ranked a top-100 recruit nationally and committed to the USC Trojans.[7][8]
College career
editCurtis became a starter immediately as a true freshman at USC in 2023, being the first to start at his position as a true freshman for the school since 2015, and the second since 1978.[9] He ultimately appeared in 12 games for the Trojans in the 2023 season and posted 40 tackles, four tackles-for-loss, two sacks and two fumble recoveries.[10] He entered the NCAA transfer portal after the season.[11][12] He was ranked the best linebacker in the transfer portal and ultimately committed to the Wisconsin Badgers.[13][14]
References
edit- ^ Watson, Jimmy (August 14, 2020). "Many's Curtis tacking on collegiate offers". The Times. p. B1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d "Tackett Curtis". USC Trojans.
- ^ Gafford, LaMar (October 24, 2021). "Football, family important to Curtis". The Town Talk. p. B1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Domangue, Dylan (January 12, 2022). "Many Tigers place two on MaxPreps Small Town All-America team". KALB-TV.
- ^ Watson, Jimmy (December 12, 2022). "Many's Curtis moves on to USC with two state titles". The Times. p. B1, B2 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Watson, Jimmy (January 8, 2023). "Many's Curtis selected as the 2022 LSWA Mr. Football". Daily World. p. B1, B3 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Morrissette, Connor (April 12, 2023). "USC football: Lincoln Riley calls Tackett Curtis the best linebacker in 2023 class". Sports Illustrated.
- ^ Morales, Antonio (July 18, 2022). "USC beats Ohio State, Wisconsin for top-100 LB Tackett Curtis". The Athletic.
- ^ Nhi Nguyen, Thuc (August 31, 2023). "USC's 'Captain America' Tackett Curtis pushing to improve after realizing his dream". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Postins, Matthew (January 9, 2024). "Former USC Trojans Linebacker Commits To Badgers". Sports Illustrated.
- ^ James, Donovan (December 21, 2023). "Power Five teams are eyeing USC transfer Tackett Curtis in the portal". USA Today.
- ^ Domangue, Dylan (December 18, 2023). "Former Many Tiger, current USC LB Tackett Curtis enters name in transfer portal". KALB-TV.
- ^ Al-Khateeb, Zac (January 9, 2024). "Tackett Curtis transfer: Wisconsin football lands top available LB in portal out of USC". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- ^ Temple, Jesse (January 9, 2024). "Wisconsin's recruiting work pays off with Tackett Curtis addition in transfer portal". The Athletic.