USC coach Clay Helton has a great comparison to new Jets guard Aliza Vera-Tucker, whom Helton coached for the past three years.
“I think he’s in the mold of Quenton Nelson, who played him for years,” Helton told The Post.
It will be Nelson, the Colts guard who has been an All-Pro in his first three seasons and has established himself as the best guard in football.
No pressure, Alijah.
Helton compares Nelson, whom he faced each year to a USC-Notre Dame game, because he believes Vera-Tucker has some similar traits.
“His versatility is the one that’s out there for me first,” Helton said. “I think he’s going to be a special internal player with elite athletics and legs. He has elite elite tackling athleticism, but if you pinch in a game or season, You can always take him out to tackle. “
The Jets traded from No. 23 to 14 in the first round to pick Vera-Tucker, surrendering two third-round picks in the process. The business has drawn some criticism from those who believe GM Joe Douglas gave up on going too far to take a guard. If Vera-Tucker lives for the billings that her college coaches give her, however, no one will remember the price the Jets paid.
Tim Dereno was Vera-Tucker’s offensive line coach at USC. He said the 6-foot-4, 308-pounder is ineffective.
Drevno, now an assistant at UCLA, said, “He didn’t panic.” “He lives in the moment, produces on a high level. If he makes a mistake, he is not a criminal. He goes on to the next play and does not let the last play affect him. That way he is out of the way. Gaya. He’s special. It’s not a big deal for him. “
In 2019, Vera-Tucker debuted on the left guard for the Trojans. When the team dealt with Austin Jackson from the NFL later that season, he saw Vera-Tucker going out. Due to COVID-19 they had only one spring practice and when they held brief training camps, they had to run to get ready for the season.
“He was the best offensive lineman in our team so we knocked him out of the left tackle,” Helton said. “Man, has he held this position? At the point where I thought, many times, he was as productive, if not, compared to Austin in a brief season.
Drevno said that there were two games played without Vera-Tucker practice. He had to sit out the week of practice due to contact tracing before he took on the role of Washington State. The second came in the Pac-12 Championship against Oregon, when he was an injured hamstring. He played through it and faced Duck Edge-rusher Kayvan Thibodo, who projects as a top pick in 2022. He also placed Thibodo in a sack with a Habstring injury.
“They just completely gave their all,” said Helton. He said, “He didn’t care where his draft was being drafted.” He is just that man.
As much as he impressed his coaches on the field, he speaks his character much more than that. When they would not play the Pac-12, Vera-Tucker initially ruled out last season. When the Pac-12 trusted and decided to hold a brief session, Vera-Tucker opted to engage his teammates for another run at a title.
“Some people will say, ‘I’m out of here. I’m going on pro football. I don’t care about this team and be selfish.” Who isn’t he. It was a really special thing for him to do that. He gave the team Made him bigger than himself. Who is he really? “
Helton said the Jets are dreaming of a coach.
“He is an incredible man in the building. I am talking about the unbelievable, ”said Helton. He said, “So he was the captain of the team. He is the same friend every day. He is consistent, blue-collar, hard-working, great teammate. He is a supporter. He is a man you can build on your building. I want to. “
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