All-American DT Tyrique Tucker announces he'll be back for Indiana's 2026 season
Indiana’s defensive line will retain one of its top playmakers, as defensive tackle Tyrique Tucker announced that he will return to Bloomington for the 2026 season, per his post on X.
The 6-foot, 302-pound tackle will be a redshirt senior in the fall, as he’ll utilize his final year of eligibility in hopes of going back-to-back after Indiana’s 2025 national championship run.
Tucker was named third-team All-America by the Associated Press, as well as first-team All-Big Ten by both the conference’s coaches and media.
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Tucker redshirted the 2022 season at James Madison and totaled 30 tackles in 2023 with the Dukes before following Curt Cignetti to IU ahead of the 2024 campaign. As primarily a backup in ‘24, Tucker racked up 24 total tackles and 2.5 sacks.
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In 2025, his role was elevated to start all 16 games on Indiana’s prolific defensive line, as Tucker finished with 38 total tackles and six sacks during the Hoosiers’ national title season. He was one of the top contributors on a defensive front that IU heavily relied on, making his return incredibly important for Indiana.
It comes a day after left tackle Carter Smith announced he plans to return to Bloomington, giving Indiana two major All-American pieces back for Indiana’s national championship defense in 2026.
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