COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Plano (Texas) jumbo athlete Sam Tecklenburg doesn’t look like a tight end with his big frame, but he plays there and on defense for his high school team.
Sam Tecklenburg on Baylor pledge: “I just want to win and Baylor gets it done”
But where will the jumbo athlete play when he gets to Baylor?
SB Nation Recruiting caught up with the Baylor pledge at Texas State 7-on-7 last week to talk about his future in green and gold and what position he will play when he gets there.
The 6’4, 250-pounder is a consensus three-star prospect and spoke about why he committed to the Bears.
“It’s just a great all-around place,” he said. “I can get a good education and it’s obviously a great football program. I thought it was a good opportunity to win a national championship. I just want to win and Baylor gets it done there.”
Of course, recruits in previous classes couldn’t make those declarations with as much confidence as Tecklenburg did in College Station, so it’s no surprise that the recent success on the field for Baylor played a role in his decision.
“The recent success had a lot to do with my decision,” Tecklenburg said. “I grew up watching them when they weren’t very good when I was little, but I think they are going in the right direction and I want to be part of that.”
One of the most underrated offensive line coaches in the country is Bears’ Randy Clements, a coach who has had a consistent run of offensive linemen heading to the NFL from Waco. That fact wasn’t lost on Tecklenburg, either.
“I feel like it’s a place where I can grow a lot and become the best football player that I can be.”
Since Tecklenburg is about 40 pounds from a playing weight along the offensive line, he said that there has been some discussion about playing tight end in college if he ends up having trouble gaining weight.
“We’ll just see how that goes. I have a year to grow and all that can change,” he said. “We’ll just see.”
For some prospects, the position a school recruits them at is crucial to their recruitment, but that’s not the case for Tecklenburg.
“I don’t really have a preference. I just want to help the team out where I can, but I play defensive tackle and tight end for Plano, so those are the two positions that I know really well. Still, I feel like I can learn any other position pretty quick.”
Given his versatility and clear overall football aptitude, Tecklenburg should still find a place where he can contribute if gaining the weight to make the move to the offensive line doesn’t work out for him.
